Doctor Who: The Lemkin Factor
by Phoenix-cry
Summary: Trapped on an immense ghost ship drifting aimlessly in space. The trio is suffering from amnesia as to how they came aboard crewless ship. When the Doctor's health starts failing piecing together those lost hours is the key to both saving his life and getting home. Mystery/angst/character development/adventure/plot twist type story, hopefully a fun read for all you clever Whovians!
1. Chapter 1

Note from Phoenix: This is my first try at Doctor Who, but it seems like a really fun world to play in! I'm NuWhovian scum and Matt Smith is my fav so I'll be playing with the 11th Doctor, but I found the TARDIS Wiki so I'll be adding in a *lot* of Classic Who.

As for where this fits in the seasons: end of season 7 but before season 8.

**Also I will be switching POV between Rory and Amy within the chapters! I know this is 'bad form', but for this story and for this style it is going to work best for me.**

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Doctor Who: The Lemkin Factor

Chapter One

Rory woke on a cold metal floor with a powerful pounding in his head, the kind that made him believe he'd spent the previous night binge drinking down at the pub. Not a hundred percent sure that he hadn't done exactly that Rory experimented with opening his eyes. He was grateful that the lighting was dim. Still disoriented Rory turned his head to either side slowly to look around.

"Amy?" Rory whispered. "Amy?"

"Rory?"

Amy's weak voice lead Rory to think that she was in a similar state to the one he was currently suffering from. Forcing himself to sit up he found Amy laying a few feet away. He crawled over to her and helped her sit up. She groaned pitifully and looked around. They were in a metal corridor of what looked to be an older spaceship of indeterminate origin.

"We have to find the Doctor." Amy said instantly.

"Yeah, right, also, I'm okay...how are you?" Rory asked in a hurt tone.

"Don't be like that." Amy shoved Rory's shoulder. "I know you're okay, I can see you, Stupid. But when I wake up on a spaceship with a blazing headache and the last thing I remember is being in bed on Earth, finding the Doctor becomes my 'first order of business'."

"You've got a point there." Rory admitted. "Last thing I remember is being on the TARDIS...we were going to a world made of crystal for some sort of festival."

"For a Crystal Festival it sucks."

"Yeah, I don't think we landed in the right place."

"We never do." Amy chuckled, instantly regretting it as her headache protested. "Come on, let's find the Doctor."

"Right."

Rory wasn't sure how wandering aimlessly on a spaceship of unknown size was going to help them find the Doctor and yet every other time they'd tried something similar it had worked. As they worked their way through the maze of corridors they started to get a sense of how immense the craft really was. It was only years of space travel that told them they were under the influence of artificial gravity and not in the metal halls of an underground city on a planet. Nearly an hour of walking through the vacant corridors, chambers, catwalks, and decks they were no better off then when they started.

"Am I the only one who thinks it's unsettling that we haven't come across anyone?" Rory asked to break the silence. "Someone's got to be flying this thing, right?"

"It is frighteningly qui..."

Amy was cut off as bright white shimmering light appeared in the hall a few feet in front of them. When the light cleared the Doctor was there facing away from them. He looked around without looking behind himself before swearing under his breath and reaching over to the wall to type into the small console imbedded in it. The shimmering light reappeared over him.

"Doctor, wait!" Amy called out.

"Pon..." The Doctor said as he started to turn around. It was too late the transporter beam was already activated and the Doctor vanished.

"I suppose we should just wait here then." Rory said.

Amy just shook her head sadly. After waiting fifteen minutes the pair started to worry that the Doctor hadn't returned. Before they could seriously start talking about starting the search again they heard footsteps coming towards them from down the hall. Rory and Amy both breathed a sigh of relief when it was the Doctor who rounded the corner and not some angry alien life form. Although when Amy got a look at his expression she decided that he might well fit into the 'angry alien' category. She also noticed that his tweed jacket was buttoned up, something she couldn't ever remember seeing before.

"What happened to you?" Amy ask.

"Explanations later." The Doctor said briskly as he approached. "Let's go, Ponds."

"Docto..."

Amy stopped with a surprised yelp as the Doctor snatched her wrist on the way past and nearly pulled her off her feet as he continued on down the hall with her in tow. Rory was quick to come along as well. Rory looked to Amy for an explanation to the Doctor's strange behaviour but all she could do is shrug. When they came to an intersection the Doctor didn't hesitate to turn to the left and then right at the next one.

"Where are we going?" Amy asked.

"Back to the TARDIS." The Doctor replied simply.

"Why not just 'beam' us there?" Rory suggested.

"I'm barely good enough at the teleport controls to get myself around let alone three." The Doctor growled. "I hate teleport."

"Where is everyone?" Amy asked as the Doctor continued to pull her down the hall.

"I don't care." The Doctor snarled.

Amy looked back to Rory for help but this time it was his turn to shrug his shoulders as he walked quickly to keep up with them. Amy had never seen the Doctor in such a hurry when their wasn't an obvious immediate threat present. It gave her the feeling that there was an unobvious immediate threat present. She could feel his stress in the tight, almost painful, hold he had on her.

Unable to free her wrist from the Doctor's grip Amy had little choice than to follow along as he picked up speed. He wasn't exactly running, but he was certainly walking with a singular purpose in mind. Giving in to just following along Amy crashed into the Doctor when he came to a sudden dead stop. Rory didn't have any better success putting on the breaks and bumped into them as well.

Releasing Amy the Doctor took a few steps closer to the dark glass surface that was fixed to the wall. It looked like it was some form of control panel that would light up to the touch, but the Doctor wasn't interested in touching it. He was completely transfixed by his own reflection like a moth to a flame. Staring at himself he slowly reached up and ran the back of his hand across his jaw line as if to confirm that it truly was the shape he was looking at. Rory and Amy exchanged a concerned glances once more.

"Doctor?" Amy asked hesitantly.

"W...why do I look like that?" The Doctor asked himself more than Amy.

"Mostly because you won't get rid of the bow-tie." Amy replied. "A hair cut wouldn't hurt either."

"What?" The Doctor said as he was finally able to pull his eyes off his reflection. "No, I mean...never mind. We have to get out of here. Right now."

"We just got here...didn't we?" Rory asked. "I'm a little confused about what's happening, or happened."

"You have a gap in your memory, I'm sure we all do to some extent." The Doctor explained dismissively. "Don't worry about that."

"Oh, right, gap in my memory, no big deal, happens all the time." Rory said with an edge of panic. "Should I worry about where are we?"

"No. It's not the 'where' that concerns me so much as the 'when'." The Doctor said seriously as he looked at his wrist watch. "My watch is off by nearly five hundred years."

"How could you possibly know that?" Amy demanded.

"It's complicated. Just trust me."

"Doctor, what is going on?" Amy asked in a tone that was not to be ignored.

The Doctor had already started back off down the hallway. Rory had taken a step to follow him, but Amy stopped him. She crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground in a way that showed in no uncertain terms that she wasn't going to take another step until she had some answers. Looking around nervously the Doctor gave in with a sigh and walked back over to the pair.

"There are some..." the Doctor searched for the right word "'hiccups' in my memory over the past twenty-four hours as well. However one thing that is crystal clear is that I remember regenerating, which is why it's impossible that I still look the way you remember me looking. It doesn't make any sense. I don't understa..."

"Wait," Amy interrupted "you died?"

Reaching up the Doctor unbuttoned his sport's jacket and held it open. Amy gasped in shock at the large duel bloodstains the Doctor had revealed. Rory instinctively stepped forward offer medical aid but the Doctor just smiled sadly and shook his head to let him know it wasn't needed. His shirt was soaked in blood high on his left chest and also lower on his right ribs with corresponding gashes in the fabric, one over each heart.

"I didn't just 'die'...I was murdered."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Who murdered you?"

"I don't know!" The Doctor replied irritated. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it does. We've been walking around for over an hour, there has been another soul here." Amy said as she gestured around the empty corridor.

"Well obviously there is *someone* else here." The Doctor huffed. "I certainly didn't jab myself through the hearts! Now can we *please* go before they come back for another go at it?!"

"Amy, Hon, I'm with the Doctor on this one."

"Thank you, Rory, finally some sense."

"Fine." Amy gave in.

"Brilliant!" The Doctor said with genuine enthusiasm. "This way."

"How do you know the way?"

"Why are you so full of questions all of a sudden? No, wait, never mind, please don't answer that." The Doctor said quickly as he started off down the halls once again. "I always just kind of know where the TARDIS is, even I can't explain it."

"Can't or won't?" Amy asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Both." The Doctor shot back.

Rory chuckled which earned him a glare from Amy. The closer they came to the TARDIS the quicker the Doctor's step became until he finally broke into a light run. As before they did not encounter a soul on their long twisted journey through the ship as they made their way deeper into the belly of the craft. In the lower decks where the large metal water recycling tanks were kept the TARDIS was nestled into the back corner next to a stack of steaming condensers.

"Has anyone else noticed that all the systems on this ship seem to still be running?" Amy pointed out.

"Again with the questions." The Doctor muttered.

Rushing up to the TARDIS the Doctor pressed against the door in what looked like an affectionate nuzzle before pushing the door open. Scrambling inside he raced over to the controls only briefly looking up to make sure that Amy and Rory were inside before he started mucking with the dials and levers. After a few minutes with nothing happening he started getting frustrated.

"No, no, no!" The Doctor growled and banged on one of the panels.

"Doctor?"

"Oh come on, Old Girl, please don't do this now!" The Doctor yelled. "We have to go, don't be like this, don't pout. Let go, anywhere, Lady's Choice!"

"What's happening?" Rory asked.

"She isn't responding to me, I mean she is...but she isn't going anywhere. Why aren't we going anywhere?"

"Well, we're in the TARDIS so we're safe now, right?" Rory pointed out.

"Right." The Doctor agreed unconvincingly as he dragged his hands through his hair.

"How can we help?" Amy asked.

"I...uh...I just need to think. I need to calm down." The Doctor replied as he started to pace. "I'm panicking...that's new." The Doctor instantly stopped his pacing. "Wait, that really is new. I don't panic. Why am I panicking? I shouldn't panic, I'm The Doctor."

"Could be that someone just murdered you." Amy said. "That's usually cause for alarm."

"Right." The Doctor nodded unconvinced. "Okay, first things fir..."

The Doctor suddenly cried out in pain as he clutched at his chest. Wailing again he dropped to his knees. Doubling over the Doctor violently coughed up a small amount of gold dust that scattered as it hit the glass floor. Amy and Rory had been keeping their distance, but now they both rushed up onto the control dais to help.

"No! Stay away!" The Doctor scrambled back as far as he could. "I might be dangerous, this regeneration isn't going right!"

Sitting on the dais floor the Doctor backed himself up against one of the railing poles to get away from his friends. Amy still wanted to help, but Rory put his arms around her waist and held her back. The Doctor flashed Rory a grateful smile as he wrapped his arms over his stomach. He looked like he was just about to recover when he suddenly turned and threw up a bright green liquid over the edge of the console platform.

"That is also new." The Doctor muttered weakly as he rubbed the sick from the corner of his lips with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Doctor, you're starting to scare us." Amy said seriously.

"Starting to?" Rory asked. "I've been scared for the past hour."

"Something's not right...something's off." The Doctor said vacantly as he stared up at the TARDIS console.

"We noticed." Amy agreed. "You're not wel..."

"Not with me, with the TARDIS. I noticed before, I just didn't really pay attention" The Doctor corrected as he seemed to be seeing the interior of the TARDIS for the first time. "Doesn't it look different in here to you?"

"Different how?" Amy asked concerned as she looked around.

"Drab. Dull. Dim. Dusty."

Rory and Amy looked around at the colorful panels, blinking lights, bright wires, glowing glass, and other gems that lined the interior of the TARDIS. They both just shook their heads, it looked exactly the same as it always did. Confused the Doctor put his hand over one eye and looked around before repeating the treatment with the other eye. He repeated the action one more time before furrowing his brow.

"Doctor, what's wrong?"

"A number of things, Amelia." The Doctor answered wearily. "For starters I'm regenerating into the same body in a near colorless TARDIS that won't fly with a chunk missing from my memory in a dead ship five hundred years out of time with a fear in my heart that doesn't belong there."

"Heart?" Rory repeated as a question.

"What?" The Doctor and Amy asked in unison as they turned their focus on Rory.

"Uh...well...you said 'heart', singular. You always say 'hearts', which makes sense...I guess...seeing as you have two of them and all. I've just never heard you say..." Rory stopped when he saw the look of utter disbelief that had fallen over the Doctor and Amy's faces. "Never mind, don't listen to me. I'm being daft."

"Completely." Amy agreed.

"Maybe not..." The Doctor disagreed.

Still sitting on the floor the Doctor reached into his jacket inner pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He turned the device on himself and let it scan before flicking it open and reading it. Clearly not believing what the screwdriver had to say he pointed it a Rory and did a scan before scanning himself again. After reading it a second time the Doctor jumped to his feet, his chest suddenly heaving with panicked breath.

"Doctor?!" Amy asked alarmed.

"Ponds, I need you to help me find something, something very important, critically important, insanely important, life and death important!"

"What is it?"

"A watch, a pocket watch."


	3. Chapter 3

NOTE: I'll be using degrees Celsius, so for all my non-metric readers out there please refer to the temp chart below:

Normal human body temp in F 98.6, in C that's 37. Normal Time Lord body temp in F 59, in C 15.

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Chapter Three

"What does it look like?" Rory asked as he picked through the cluttered glass storage tub on the far side of the main chamber.

"It looks like a pocket watch!" The Doctor called from inside a closet where he was searching. "What else do you think it would look like?!"

"With you, honestly, it could be anything. You do run around in a space ship that looks like a Call Box."

"Good point." The Doctor admitted as he threw a golden Egyptian death mask out of the closet with a clang.

Rory continued the hunt through the myriad of old TARDIS parts, tools, gems, torn pages of instruction manuals, and other various items that the Doctor had stashed away. With all the storage hidden away in Time Lord technology, boxes that were bigger on the inside, Rory had never noticed how big a hoarding problem the Doctor had because the place always looked so neat and tidy. However there were centuries of items squirreled away in hidden storage bins that lined the main chamber.

The floor was now littered in artifacts, curios, minerals, clothing, and mostly just plain junk. At first they had been careful and somewhat systematic in their search, but as the Doctor became more desperate to find the watch they just started to haul everything out. Despite Amy's interrogation style questions while she searched the Doctor wasn't saying anything more about why this particular trinket was so important.

Rory was just about to give up on the bin he was searching when a gleam caught his eye. Peeking out from under a multi colored scarf that had to be ten feet long Rory saw the winding head of an old fashioned pocket watch. He picked up the dull silver watch and held it in his palm, it didn't seem particularly special. The Doctor had given strict orders not to open the watch when found so Rory just brought it with him up onto the console dais.

"Is this it?" Rory held up the watch.

The Doctor scrambled out of the closet that he was in, fighting against the wires and tubes that he'd become tangled in. He was still wearing his bloodstained shirt, but had long since taken off his jacket. When he caught sight of the watch he cried out in joy and raced over to join Rory. Rory noticed that the Doctor was breathing heavier than before and sweating, he couldn't ever remember seeing the Doctor sweat before.

"Rory!" The Doctor exclaimed in excitement as he skidded to a halt in front of him. "I could kiss you!"

Rory had no time to react as the Doctor suddenly made good on his promise with a full on the lips kiss. Amy chuckled at Rory's horrified reaction as she joined the boys on the dais. The Doctor snatched the ornate silver pocket watch from the still stunned Rory and held it like a dragon clutching a precious stone.

"Ugh!" Rory spat and rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth. "I hate it when he does that."

"And yet you're never fast enough to get out of the way." Amy teased.

"Children please." The Doctor admonished.

The Doctor ran his fingertips over the circular inscriptions before pressing the catch that opened it. Rory and Amy held their breath, expecting something spectacular to happen. Clearly the Doctor had been expecting something to happen as well. However as far as Amy could tell it was just a pocket watch. Furrowing brow in confusion the Doctor turned the open watch over in his hands a few times before giving it a hard shake and then holding it up to his ear. He closed it and opened it a few times, but it still didn't do anything.

When it still didn't act the way he wanted it to he tossed it onto the console. Pulling his hands through his hair the Doctor turned his back on the console and sank to the floor. Sitting with his back against the panel he just stared vacantly at nothing. During the search Amy had been confident that they were going to find the key to getting everything straightened out. However now that terrible uneasiness was twisting at her stomach again. One look at Rory and she could see that he had the same problem.

Amy picked up the once precious and now discarded watch and sat down next to the Doctor. He looked over at her and forced a smile but Amy could see the hopelessness in his eyes. There was a terrifying eeriness when a creature as old as the Time Lord looked at you with an expression of weary defeat. It was enough to bring anyone to tears, but Amy knew from experience that this was not the time to sit down and cry.

"Doctor, why was this so important to you?" Amy asked gently as she held up the watch. "What does it do?"

"At the moment? It tells time...nothing more." The Doctor sighed heavily. "I really thought that was going to work. I counted on that working."

"What should it have done?"

"It should have fixed me."

"What do you mean by that?" Amy pressed. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry, Amy." The Doctor reached up and affectionately brushed Amy's cheek. "I don't remember what I did wrong, but I think I made a terrible mistake."

"We all make mistakes, Doctor." Amy tried to sound light hearted. "But we can fix them...right? I mean you are a Time Lord after all."

"That's the problem. I'm n..." The Doctor stopped as he winced in pain.

"Doctor?"

"You'll be safe here," the Doctor panted as he started to lose focus "just stay in the TARDIS...she'll take care of you..."

"No, no, don't you dare talk like that." Amy admonished as her eyes brightened with tears. "You're not allowed to talk like you're dying."

"I'm sorry."

"Rory...do something."

Rory knelt down and put the back of his hand against the Doctor's forehead. "He's burning up. We need to get his temperature down."

"Amelia..."

"Doctor..."

The Doctor's eyes rolled back to white as he passed out. Rory reached down and gathered the unconscious Doctor in his arms and lifted him up off the floor. He was shocked by the amount of heat that was now radiating off his skin. Rory wasn't sure if there was anything he could do as he felt the Doctor jerk in the start of convulsions from the unnatural heat.

"Rory, what do we do? We can't let him die, we can't."

"The pool," Rory said as he headed towards the hallway "we'll get him in the water, bring his temperature down."

"The Doctor once told me that a Time Lord's internal temperature is less than half that of a humans." Amy fretted. "Something like fifteen, sixteen degrees."

"He must be closer to forty right now."

Amy knew that was dangerously high even for a human, she had no idea what the Doctor's upper limit was. Whatever it was he was past it and slipping away fast. Rory carried him as quickly as he could down the corridor to the natural pool that was in a room made to mimic a natural lake. Amy followed them in as they crashed into the cool water.

Rory waded out until he could kneel down and submerge the Doctor while still keeping his head afloat. The water seemed to have an instant positive effect and although the Doctor didn't wake he did start breathing easier. Amy touched her hand to his cheek and found it still unnaturally warm for the Doctor. Rory pressed his fingertips against the Doctor's throat to check his pulse.

"Slow and steady," Rory reported "I think he's stabilizing."

"You're thinking like a human nurse, Rory." Amy said. "His hearts always race."

"Right, damn it."

Rory shifted so that he support the Doctor in the water on his knee. Amy helped keep the Doctor's head above the water while Rory went to do a more through check of the Doctor's condition. He took a hold of the Doctor's blood stained shirt and tore it open. His original plan was to put his ear to each heart to see if they were both beating however he was instantly distracted by the sight revealed by the open shirt.

A reddish purple lattice work of interconnecting spirals and lines were splashed across the Doctor's chest and over his right ribs. The skin looked raised where the pattern lay as if it had been burned or cut there, however it didn't look fresh or irritated. It looked more like an old wound that refused to fade.

"What is that?" Amy breathed in horror.

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like it."

"That hasn't always been there, that just happened."

"The pattern radiates from where the stab wound would have been. It looks like scar tissue."

"The Doctor doesn't scar." Amy said confidently. "I've seen him hurt, it never leaves a mark."

"It did this time."

Over his initial shock Rory reached out and traced along one of the raised lined that marred the Doctor's chest. Gasping sharply the Doctor arched back and wailed at the top of his lungs before falling deathly calm once again. With his eyes still closed they darted under the lids as if in the midsts of a dream state.

"Please...please don't do this, please stop." The Doctor whimpered delusionaly. "I promise you it will not end well for any of us."

"Easy, you're okay." Amy tried to sooth the Doctor. "You're safe."

The Doctor couldn't hear Amy's words or if he could they brought him no comfort. He started to thrash, trying escape Rory's hold. Although still weak he fought bitterly to free himself. Locked in the nightmare there was nothing Amy or Rory could do but just try and keep him from injuring himself. It didn't take long before he was near death with exhaustion.

"Listen to me." The Doctor snarled darkly. "I can't help you. What I *can* do is kill everyone on this ship..."

"Doctor..."

"Hurt me again...and I will..."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Perched on the edge of the bed Amy ran her fingers gently through the Doctor's hair the way a mother would to help her child sleep. In a way that was exactly what she was doing, every time she stopped the light contact he spiraled back into nightmares. At times even Amy's comforts weren't enough and he would cry out, however the words he'd spoken in the pool were the last coherent thing he'd said.

It had been nearly two days since the Doctor had initially lost consciousness and although he was still warm by Time Lord standards he didn't seem to be struggling. They had changed him into a pair of pajama pants, but kept his shirt off so that they could keep an eye on the markings. Amy reached down and pulled the top cover down just far enough to look at the odd markings on the Doctor's chest. Now that they had been there for a few days they almost look natural, as if it would be odd for them not to be there.

"How is he doing?" Rory asked softly as he stepped into the room.

"I don't know."

"He'll be okay. He's the Doctor, he's always okay."

"Right." Amy half heartedly agreed as she pulled the covers back up.

"You need to get some sleep. I'll take watch."

"I'm not tired."

"Can I get you something to eat at least?"

"Not right now."

Rory knew better than to push right now, but in another few hours he was going to insist that Amy take a break. It wasn't a surprise that the Doctor didn't stay quite as calm when Rory was on watch which made Amy hesitant to care for herself. Rory came over and sat down on the bed with her and gave her a supportive hug. Amy smiled and returned the affection with a nuzzle which encouraged Rory to give her cheek a quick kiss.

"Get a room you two." The Doctor muttered sleepily.

"Doctor?" Amy and Rory asked in unison.

The Doctor fluttered his eye open and looked around. Amy and Rory waited for him to reorient himself as he slowly woke. Eventually he got to a point where he could look up at Amy and Rory and flash them a genuine smile.

"Hello." The Doctor greeded warmly.

"How are you feeling?" Amy asked anxiously.

"Good." The Doctor reported. "I think, still trying to sort things out. Over all though I feel fine, all things considered."

"All things considered, we thought you were going to die." Rory pointed out.

"So did I."

"How is your memory?"

"Still shot."

Rory and Amy exchanged a glance that the Doctor didn't notice. There had certainly been parts of the Doctor's memory surfacing in the pool. Acting as though everything was normal the Doctor struggled to sit up. Once he managed to prop himself up on his elbows the sheets fell down to reveal the top of the red marks. Catching sight of the marks the Doctor knit his brow together.

"What?" The Doctor said as pulled down the covers a bit more to reveal more pattern. "Wait...what? What?!" The Doctor exclaimed in shock as he ripped the rest of covers off and sat bolt upright. He looked over at Amy and Rory in horror before looking back down. "WHAT?!"

"We were hoping you knew what that was." Rory said sheepishly.

"No, no I do not know what that is!" The Doctor jumped out of bed and raced over to the mirror.

The Doctor lifted his right arm up so that he could inspect how far around his ribs the secondary set of markings wrapped. He went to touch the lines but hesitated to actually make contact with the marred skin. The Doctor looked back and forth from his own skin to the reflection as he turned and twisted in front of the mirror in hopes of gaining some new information. Amy and Rory came over and stood by him, unsure of how to help. After an initial inspection the Doctor took a step away from the mirror and just stared down.

"Hello?" The Doctor spoke directly to his chest. "Can you hear me? Do you understand?"

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Amy asked puzzled.

"I'm trying to talk to it."

"Your chest?"

"What? No, don't be silly. The pattern, it might be a life form." The Doctor explained. He reached up and very carefully touched one of the colorful spirals. "Hello, I'm called the Doctor. I don't mean you any harm, I...uh...well, I just want to know what you're doing on me. Hello?"

"Uh...Doctor?" Rory leaned in to take a closer look. "I don't think it's alive."

"I don't want to rule anything out at this point." The Doctor said. "Rory, go get me a pen."

"You're going to write it a note?"

"I'm going to make sure it isn't slowly spreading, please take this seriously!" The Doctor snapped.

Rory nodded and headed over to the desk to fetch a pen so that the Doctor could mark the boarder of where the pattern was currently. Amy watched helplessly as the Doctor continued to inspect the intricate scaring with a worried expression. When he touched the apparent center of the design on his chest his breath hissed over his teeth in a sound of pain.

"Does it hurt?" Amy asked.

"No...it's more like I remember that it was painful." The Doctor explained. "I have chaotic flashes of memory when I look at it, but nothing coherent."

"When we were trying to bring your temperature down you..." Amy hesitated to share what had happened but decided that she had to. "You started saying things, like you were talking to someone."

"What did I say?" The Doctor asked urgently as he suddenly lost all interest in the markings. He turned to face her to give her his full attention. "What exactly did I say?"

The Doctor listened intently as Amy retold the story as best she could remember it. Rory had returned with the pen half way through, but the Doctor's full attention was focused on the story. He didn't interrupt, but when she came to the part of the story where he appeared to be threatening an anonymous tormentor he broke eye contact with her and turned his attention once again to the marks on his chest.

Amy finished her story with the Doctor's promise to defend himself against the entire ship with lethal force. The Doctor didn't respond or offer any theories. He just reached up and slowly started to trace one of the spirals. Worried Amy looked to Rory to do something. Rory smiled uneasily and held out the pen that he had gotten for the Doctor.

"I don't need it," the Doctor refused the offering quietly "it isn't going to spread."

"So you know what it is. What is it?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," the Doctor said with a forced smile "just a scar."

"Time Lords don't scar." Amy pointed out.

"I'm no longer a Time Lord."

"Come again?" Rory asked.

"My DNA and physiology has been shifted significantly towards human." The Doctor replied with little interest.

"Human?" Rory repeated skeptically. "You can do that? Just, make yourself human?"

The Doctor just nodded before going back over to the bed and sitting down heavily on the edge.

"That's why you're stable with just the one heartbeat." Amy pieced together.

"Exactly, just the one heart this time." The Doctor nodded. "It's also why the TARDIS looks so different to me, humans see with three color bands and I'm used to seeing with four."

"But how did this happen? Can you change back?"

"I don't know the answer to either of those questions. Normally when a Time Lord camouflages himself as a human he has to use a special device and he stores his knowledge and regeneration energy in a device: the pocket watch Rory found. However, the energy wasn't in there, and other than the small gap I haven't lost all my memory the way I should have. I'm not even all human, more like ninety-eight percent. Not enough for the TARDIS to fly for me."

"So...what do we do now?"

The Doctor appeared to be contemplating Amy's question for a few minutes. Amy and Rory remained quiet while the Doctor thought over all the new information. With sudden determination in his eyes he jumped to his feet and strode over to the closet. He got out a plain white t-shirt and pulled it on to cover the vivid scars. Without a looking at his companions he headed for the door.

"Doctor?"

"Stay here, Ponds." The Doctor said firmly.

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing." The Doctor said honestly. "I just need some time to think."

"About how we are going to get out of here?"

"About my new Lemkin Factor."


	5. Chapter 5

NOTE: I'm glad you're all enjoying! I try to reply to all my readers, so if you are signed in I'll respond!

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Chapter Five

"I'm going after him."

"Amy, he said he needed some time alone."

"Letting the Doctor sulk is never a good idea. Trust me."

Rory followed Amy as she headed towards the main chamber. She had hoped that the Doctor would be there, but she wasn't surprised to find that he wasn't. There were a few programs that she could run on the console and one of them gave her the location of all life forms in the TARDIS. Other than Amy and Rory no one else was in the time machine.

"He could be anywhere on the ship." Rory pointed out as he read the program.

"He'll be where he can see the stars." Amy said confidently as she turned to leave.

"Amy, no, it could be dangerous out there."

"No more so than usual."

"Good point."

Giving in Rory followed Amy out into the ship. This time instead of winding aimlessly through the halls they continued on a path that lead up and towards what they assumed was the front of the ship. Amy's rational was to find the bridge since most of the ships she'd been on had large glass view ports at the helm. Just as before no one challenged them as they walked the quiet halls of the ship.

"Look at this." Rory stopped as they passed an open door.

Amy peeked around the door into a large dinning room. The tables were set up like a military style mess hall with benches instead of chairs. However it didn't have a military feel to it. There were decorations on the walls, glass flowers hung in bunches from the ceiling, and settings were not industrial metal trays but rather china plates. Scattered across the tables were plates with the remains of half eaten meals rotting and congealing. Amy sighed sadly as she picked up a child's stuffed toy from the floor, she couldn't identify the animal but it looked vaguely cat like.

"Amy?"

"Part of me was hoping that there hadn't been anyone here in the first place."

"Whatever happened, it happened fast. No one panicked, there wasn't a rush, there isn't even a glass tipped over."

"The Doctor didn't do this, he couldn't have."

"We don't know half of what he'd capable of."

"Rory..."

"Amy, we've seen whole armies turn tail and run at the mere sight of him."

"This isn't an army, Rory."

"Let's just find him."

Amy nodded and put the toy back down where she'd found it. They lay out of the ship was easy enough to follow once they had their bearings. They were confident that they were making their way to the bridge. The more living quarters they past the more they found evidence of a population that had vanished in the blink of an eye without warning. The ship was an odd combination of a utilitarian ship and a cruise liner. It had the feel of a place that had been originally designed for a journey only, but had then been converted into more of long term living space. The added touches and decorations looked added on later in an attempt to make it feel more like a home.

There were very few open spaces, but the bridge was certainly one of them. The hall suddenly opened up into an immense space with a domed sheet of round glass several hundred feet in diameter that gave a breath taking view of the stars beyond and the yellow-orange planet that they were orbiting. A deck was suspended across the center of the dome, reachable by two sets of spiraling staircases on each side.

Amy and Rory jolted when a bottle about the size of a wine bottle fell from the platform and shattered on the metal floor below. Rory took a step towards one of the staircases however Amy reached out and stopped him. She silently requested that he stay put. He started to protest, but quickly gave in and sat on the floor to wait.

Amy went over and climbed the steep spiraling stair case to the suspended bridge. As she suspected the Doctor was sitting on the floor with his legs dangling over the edge, his arms resting on the lower metal rope of the railing, staring out at the stars. He had two more of the dark glass bottles and had already opened another one.

The Doctor looked up briefly as Amy came up and wordlessly sat down next to him. She put her legs over the edge at first as well, but being so high above the floor she found that she didn't feel particularly safe. She crossed her legs under herself instead. The pair spent a few minutes in silence looking out at the vastness of space and at the alien beauty of the planet that took up the far left side of the view. The Doctor took a deep drink from the open bottle. Amy gave him a disapproving look.

"I thought you didn't like alcohol."

"Well I'm human now, so I can drink." The Doctor said with a hint of pride.

"That doesn't give you rights to hog it all." Amy said as she took the bottle from him and took a drink. She instantly spit the green liquid over the edge in disgust.

"I thought Scotts were known for being able to hold their liquor." The Doctor said with a raised eyebrow.

"That is not liquor." Amy sputtered. "It's some sort of cherry flavoured syrup."

"Oh, no wonder I like it." The Doctor shrugged as he took the bottle back for another pull at the sickeningly sweet syrup.

"Where did you get that?"

"Found it." The Doctor replied vaguely.

"It could be poisonous for all you know."

"I deserve no better." The Doctor said darkly.

"Doct..."

"Amy, I slaughtered an entire ship." The Doctor hissed. "And for what? Because I was in a little pain?"

"Sounds more like they were torturing you."

"No excuse. There were thousands living on this ship, maybe millions and they are gone now because of me. And they are not the first." The Doctor growled. "Intentionally or otherwise, death follows me. These people wanted something from me, they thought I could help them in some way, and look what I did to them...I erased them."

"You don't know that."

"I know enough."

After drinking the last of the sweet syrup the Doctor dropped the second bottle from the elevated bridge. Bowing his head in misery he closed his eyes and remained motionless. Amy allowed him a moment of peace, but she didn't wait long before moving in closer and leaning against his shoulder. Usually he would look at her, but he turned away like an obstinate child.

"You're a good man, Doctor."

"No I'm not." The Doctor said stubbornly. "I'm evil, trouble at best."

"Never, misguided at times perhaps, but that's why you've got me." Amy pointed out. "You know I'm right. You are loved, no matter how much you don't want to be."

"Can't you just let me wallow in self loathing, Pond?" The Doctor sighed in exasperation.

"I don't know...is it going to help any of us in any way?"

"Probably not." The Doctor admitted with a hint of a smile.

"Then 'no'."

The Doctor finally turned his attention on Amy she smiled and he managed to do the same. He reached out and pulled her into a warm embrace. Amy returned the affection with a sigh of relief. The Doctor released her from the hug but he carded his hand into her fiery hair and rested his forehead against her's for a moment.

"Thank you, Amelia." The Doctor whispered.

"Any time, Doctor."

The pair shared a moment of peace before the Doctor got to his feet and helped Amy do the same. Amy looked over the rail to where Rory was sitting on the far side of the large space waiting for them. Like a well trained puppy dog Rory got to his feet and joined them on the bridge. The Doctor looked at his watch again before reaching up and trying to straighten his bow-tie only to discover that he wasn't wearing it.

"Right, so remember when I said we were five hundred years in the past further than I thought we should be?" The Doctor ask.

"Vaguely." Rory replied.

"I may have lied, in fact I did lie. I meant to say million"

"Five million years?" Rory repeated shocked.

"Oh no." The Doctor shook his head. "Five hundred million years."

"Oh, right, of course. Slight omission there, no big deal."

"And by five hundred million years I may have been rounding down, it's closer to five billion. Yeah, much closer to five billion years."

Speechless Rory looked to Amy. "What are we going to do?"

"Don't look at me." Amy said just as shocked to hear how far they'd traveled. "I'm not the Time Lord."

"Well neither is he anymore!"

"Calm down." The Doctor advised. "Come on, let's see how far from home we are in space before we worry about time."

Rory stared at Amy with an expression of utter disbelief. Amy was a little more used to the Doctor brushing aside important information such as the fact that they were so far back in the past that the Earth hadn't even formed yet. The Doctor went over the helm computer and spent a few minutes interacting with it before gasping sharply.

"Doctor?"

"I don't believe it." The Doctor breathed as he looked up from the computer to the planet below and back again. "No, no that can't be right. I would never come here even if I could, which I can't. No matter what time, and I certainly couldn't have come at this time, the Eye of Harmony doesn't even exist. This has to be a mistake...but it's not a mistake, it's there, it's right there and so are we..."

"Doctor, where are we?"

"Home."

"And by 'home', I'm guessing you don't mean Earth."

"No. My home. Gallifrey. Gallifrey, millions of years before the Time Lords even existed."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"I really shouldn't, I really want to, but I could change everything, but it's been so long, and it's all I've ever wanted, but I can't, the risks..." The Doctor rambled before looking to Amy. "Amy, what should I do?"

"Well..."

"You're absolutely right!" The Doctor interrupted in childish excitement.

Before Amy or Rory could even blink the Doctor tore a piece off the console and with a few taps used it to teleport them all down to the surface of the planet. Finding themselves actually about four feet above the red grass hills of Gallifrey the trio tumbled to the soft ground in a tangled heap.

Amy's head was spinning with the sudden change in surroundings. The bright dual suns of Gallifrey's burnt orange sky made her eyes water after the days spent in the dim artificial light of the spaceship. Rory and the Doctor seemed to be having similar problems adjusting, but eventually they untangled themselves and sat up.

"Everyone all right?" The Doctor asked.

"What kind of landing was that?" Rory demanded.

"Well...better a few feet above the planet's surface than a few feet below it." The Doctor noted cheerfully.

Rory looked at the Doctor in horror at the thought they could have all ended up encased under the planet's surface. The Doctor didn't notice, he was far too enraptured with the sights, smells, and sounds that surrounded him as he jumped to his feet. Amy was about to say something, but when the Doctor hauled her to her feet and turned her around she found herself speechless.

Against the amber sky a seemingly endless blood red mountain range with impossibly tall peaks capped with brilliant white snow stretched out from one horizon to the next. They were standing on a rise that allowed them to see into a valley bellow that held a forest of trees with silver leaves. When the gentle wind disturbed the branches the trees glittered and danced in a rainbow of reflection and bouncing light.

A bird with iridescent blue wings and two long white trailing tail feathers effortlessly soared over them with a mournful call. The bird drew Amy's attention to the unusually colored sky where she could see that even the clouds were tinted in gold and formed horsetail patterns across the vast sky. Standing behind her the Doctor wrapped his arms around Amy and held her close.

"I promised to take you to fantastic worlds, Amelia Pond." The Doctor whispered in Amy's ear. "There is none in the Universe more beautiful than this."

"I believe you."

The Doctor gave Amy a quick squeeze before releasing her and walking off towards the forest of silver. Rory stepped up next to Amy and took her hand. She rested her head against his shoulder as she watched the Doctor walk off through the crimson grass with his hands held casually behind his back. Looking around at every stone and leaf in his path he just kept walking. For the first time since Amy had known him he looked truly carefree. It wasn't long before he had reached the tree line.

"Should we just let him wander off like that?"

"Give him a break, Rory. He hasn't been home in nearly a thousand years."

"Right. Do you think we'll ever get home?"

Amy took a breath to say something along the lines of the fact that the Doctor had always gotten them home before, however this time she wasn't so sure. Something seemed different this time, he didn't even seem to be trying to figure out what had happened or how to fix it. Too tired to think about it at the moment Amy decided to just sit down in the velvet soft grass. Rory sat down as well and offered his lap as a pillow. Accepting the offer Amy slipped in and out of a light sleep in the warm rays of the Gallifrey suns.

When Amy woke up the second sun was just setting and the stars were coming out. The night sky was much more colorful on Gallifrey than back on Earth. A near by nebula cast a purple band across the star studded sky. Amy looked up as Rory ran his hand through her hair. There was an incredible vast Universe to be seen but he was looking down at her with a smile touching the corner of his lips.

"Sleep well?"

"I did." Amy admitted. "Where's the Doctor?"

"I'm here." The Doctor answered.

Amy sat up and found the Doctor laying on his back a few feet away looking up at the night sky. He reached up and started rubbing at the pattern on his chest through the white shirt he was wearing. The excited smile he'd worn when they'd first arrived on the planet was gone, but he remained peaceful. Eventually he tore his eyes away from the stars and rolled over onto his stomach. Propping himself up on his elbows he looked up at Rory and Amy.

"I suppose we should go back to the ship," the Doctor sighed "start trying to find a way home."

"We can stay a little longer if you want to." Amy offered.

"No." The Doctor shook his head as he got to his feet. "This has already been more than I could have ever dreamed for. Let's go."

The Doctor offered his hands to Amy and Rory to help them to their feet. Bringing out the piece of console he used it to teleport to send Amy and Rory back to the floor of the bridge. The Doctor stayed behind for a moment staring down at the dark grass in the Gallifrey night.

"Good-bye. I never did say that last time, so good-bye again."

Before he lost his resolve the Doctor took one last look around before he transported himself up to the bridge with the other two. Amy and Rory had been worried when they had found themselves alone on the ship, but now that the Doctor had joined them they didn't say anything about it. For the first time the Doctor took the time to really look around at the lay out of the large room that surrounded them.

"I've been here before..." The Doctor said as he tried to remember.

"Before as in during the memory gap?" Rory asked.

"No." The Doctor turned around in a circle as he inspected the architecture. "Before as in hundreds of years ago, I think, it's different somehow. I can't quite remember who lived here...I've been so many places."

"Friends or enemies?" Amy asked hoping to jog his memory.

"I don't remember, it almost feels like both."

"Kinda has to be one or the other doesn't it?" Rory asked.

"Few things are that black and wh..." The Doctor stopped with a sharp gasp.

"Doctor?" Amy asked in alarm.

"It's happening again, stay away!" The Doctor growled as he staggered back clutching his right side.

Once again Rory had to keep Amy from getting closer as the Doctor dropped to his knees. He pitched forward and violent retched more of the gold regeneration dust onto the metal floor. Under his shirt the marks suddenly began to sear into his skin as if they were fresh acid wounds. Trying to hide his pain from his companions the Doctor pressed one hand against his chest and just ground his teeth together.

"Rory, we have to help!" Amy protested.

"No, Amy, I'm alright." The Doctor lied as he fought to ignore the marks eating into his chest with increasing intensity. "It's not quite like before. I'm okay."

"Uh, Doctor, your chest is glowing." Rory pointed out.

"What?"

The Doctor sat back on his knees and looked down. The once red pattern had taken on the iridescent golden glow that always proceeded regeneration. As the glowing intensified the Doctor shouted to Rory and Amy to get further away. Regeneration was never pleasant but this time it felt as though a pair of icy hands was clawing their way into his chest to tear out his hearts.

Unable to keep silent any longer the Doctor arched back and cried out as the light from the marks finally tore him open. Suspended between life and death the Doctor struggled to free himself from an unseen foe that tormented him and an unknown force that held him down. Blinded physically and mentally in a frozen moment in time he knew only fear and adrenaline.

_ 'You will pay for the arrogance of all the Time Lords, Doctor...by saving us.'_

The whispered words in a the maternal voice had filled the Doctor's entire existence for a split second before there was a breath taking pain that pierced through his chest. Any hope he had of remembering the words was instantly erased as the psychic blade sank into his soul. As he returned to the physical world the imaginary dagger was mercifully pulled from his ribs. Tears streaked from the corners of his eyes as the agony and the memory of the events ebbed away.

Disoriented and aching from what he felt was hands down the roughest regeneration he'd been through the Doctor just laid on his back on the hard metal floor gasping for each breath. Although he didn't recall all of the details of his experience he was convinced that his former physical form hadn't survived the storm. Barely able to move he looked up as Amy and Rory looked down on him with concern.

"Doctor?"

"Am I ginger?" The Doctor asked with a weak smile.

"Uh...no. You still look the same."

"What? No...no." The Doctor panted in exhaustion. "That's not possible."

"What happened? You were talking aga..."

"It's like my body is trying to regenerate but something is stopping it half way through." The Doctor interrupted. "How many hearts have I got?"

The Doctor was too tired to check himself so Rory knelt down and put his ear against the Doctor's chest. He check a few places, listening carefully. Eventually he sat back on his knees and shrugged.

"Just the one."

"Are the marks still there?" Amy asked as she knelt down next to the Doctor as well.

Amy pulled up the collar of his shirt and looked down inside. The spiral pattern remained stubbornly tattooed to his chest and ribs. Looking like an old scar once more the markings were quiet. Not wanting to see the Doctor had closed his eyes and was just laying quietly while waiting for the report.

"They're still there." Amy announced. "What do we do now?"

"Find me something to eat." The Doctor demanded.

"What?"

"I'm starving...fish fingers and custard type starving."


	7. Chapter 7

NOTE: I hope you are enjoying! I like playing with the Doctor's mood swings.

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Chapter Seven

"I've never seen anything like it. Disgusting and yet fascinating"

"Right? It's like I want to look away, but I can't." Rory agreed with Amy. "Like an alien freak show."

"Oy!" The Doctor exclaimed indignantly with a mouthful of chicken. "I can hear you."

"We know." Rory and Amy chimed in unison.

The Doctor swallowed the meat and looked sourly across the dinning table that was heaped with discarded bones, dirty plates, wrappers, glasses, and the half dozen plates of various foods that he was still feeding off of. He had been eating ravenously for over an hour and was only starting to feel the soul draining hunger subside.

They were currently in one of the ship's dinning halls which they had discovered had working food synthesizers. The technology was impressive but nothing that seemed terribly out of place for the kind of craft that it was. The Doctor had not been impressed by the computers version of 'fish' so they had set it on random. Unlike when Amy had first met the Doctor if he didn't like something he complained about it, but he still ate it any way rather than spit it back out.

"What did it look like?" The Doctor suddenly asked as he gnawed on some kind of steak.

"Like watching a ravenous hyena tearing apart a Christmas dinner ." Rory replied.

Rory ducked as the Doctor chucked an objected that looked like a baked potato at him, it hit the far wall and revealed that it was bright purple inside.

"What was that for?!" Rory demanded. "You asked."

"Not watching me eat." The Doctor snapped. "The failed regeneration, what did it look like. You watched River regenerate, did it look like that?"

"At first." Amy nodded. "You fell back and there was that same golden glow with the dust but instead of you changing it just suddenly vanished."

"Is that when I woke up?"

Amy and Rory exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

"No." Amy continued. "You convulsed, said a few words, then just started..."

"Screaming." Rory finished for Amy.

"It didn't last long," Amy said quickly "a minute, maybe two from start to finish."

"What did I say this time?" The Doctor asked as though he'd rather not hear.

"You sai..." Rory started.

"'It doesn't work like this. You're going to kill us all.'." Amy interrupted Rory.

"Amy." The Doctor said sternly. "What did I really say?"

"Fine." Amy sighed. "It was more like: 'It doesn't work like this. I'm going to kill you all.'. Happy?"

"Not particularly." The Doctor admitted. "Did I sound angry?"

Rory answered 'yes' at the same time that Amy answered 'no'. The pair started to argue over if the Doctor sounded more desperate or angry, if he had been threatening someone or warning them. Rolling his eyes the Doctor jumped to his feet, with one violent motion he swept the plates and the rest of the feast off the table sending them crashing to the floor. He slammed his fists down on the table.

"It doesn't work like this!" The Doctor roared at the pair with his eyes blazing in fury. "I'm going to kill you all!"

Rory and Amy stared at the Doctor in terror like deer caught in headlights. The Doctor noticed a cookie left on the table that had escaped his wrath. He picked up the buttery cookie and munched on it while he looked at Rory and Amy expectantly.

"Well?" The Doctor asked calmly.

"Yeah...um...can I change my previous answer to 'no, definitely not angry'?" Rory asked meekly. "Not like that anyway."

"I should have been an actor...actually I was once, but the stage was not ready for me." The Doctor reminisced as he wandered over to Amy and Rory's side of the table. "Now then, at least we're getting somewhere."

"We are?" Rory questioned.

"Of course, because if I wasn't angry maybe I was warning them. Clearly someone has been mucking with my physiology, and tinkering with a Time Lord's body is extraordinarily dangerous."

"Experimenting?" Amy asked horrified. "You think someone was experimenting on you?"

"It's the other obvious alternative to torture." The Doctor pointed out. "Strain my systems enough and even I don't know what would happen."

"Do you think you could yank an entire ship five billion years in the past and vaporize the crew?" Rory asked.

"Not out of the question. I've never heard of a Time Lord traveling through time without the assistance of some sort of TARDIS or other device, but a lot of things happen every day that I've never heard of, it's a *big* Universe."

"How come Rory and I are okay?"

"I'd never hurt you." The Doctor answered instantly.

"I don't think you'd willing destroy the rest of the people on this ship either."

"You two are already time travelers, it may have helped." The Doctor guessed. "If I was pushed into some sort of energy overload that I had no control over it would also explain how we got to Gallifrey."

"How does it explain that?"

"Think about it..." the Doctor smiled sadly "torment any creature long enough the one thing it will want more than anything else is to return home."

The tone in the Doctor's voice instantly stung Amy's eyes with tears. Before the Doctor could react she threw her arms around him. Taken by surprise the Doctor looked to Rory for help. Rory just shrugged.

"Amy? You okay?"

"It's not for me, you idiot." Amy huffed as she pushed him away.

"Thank you, Amy, but I'm okay. Honest."

"So what do we do now?"

"I suspect they found a way to take the part of me that makes me a Time Lord, we need to find it, we need to get it back if we are ever going to get the TARDIS to fly again."

"You mean your soul?" Amy pointed out. "We need to find your soul."

"I guess I never thought of it that way, but basically yes." The Doctor agreed. "Sounds simple enough."

"No it doesn't."

"No...no it really doesn't."


	8. Chapter 8

NOTE: Just a reminder that as the reader (kinda as the viewer on the show) you're omnipotent in your knowledge (that's right, *you* get to be the god! muahahahaha). So you get information and views that the characters are not always privy to. You'll find two very strong examples of this in this chapter, first during the flash back which gives you a look into the Doctor's point of view of waking up on the ship. Then again later during another memory flash during another failed regeneration (or whatever is going on), if you want to know what Amy and Rory are hearing during that scene just read the Doctor's lines without the responses (that will also be the only information that the Doctor has come next chapter). I hope this makes for a fun read (you get to be more powerful than the characters), and a fun way to piece together the past. Eventually past events will meet with present ones and move into future as the plot progresses.

This is my first attempt at a mystery/angst/adventure that happens out of order. It takes a ton of work! Particularly when you are a chapter to chapter writer such as myself.

Anyway, enjoy!

Oh...also the alien race I'm using is from Classic Who. Bonus points to anyone who can figure out the race before they are reveled.

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Chapter Eight

"What do you suppose they wanted from you?"

"Any number of things, Amy." The Doctor replied as he took a moment to get his bearings in the hallway. "There are countless myths and legends as to what can be accomplished with a Time Lord's body, some of them might even be true. Most common of course are keys to time travel, cellular regeneration, and as a source of rift energy. However I've heard stories that range from communicating with the dead to turning lead into gold."

"I'm surprised you're not hunted for profit more often." Amy said.

"Oh I am, I'm just extremely clever at not getting caught." The Doctor chuckled "I even came across a particularly ambitious bloke that was very keen on using my bones to make an aphrodisiac, whatever that is...I keep meaning to look that word up."

Amy and Rory looked at one another, unsure if the Doctor was joking or not.

"As I said before even I don't know what's myth and what's truth. Time Lords never exactly advertised what their black market value was and anyone who has been foolish enough to actually capture and experiment on one, well..." The Doctor gestured around to the empty ship.

"They don't exactly live to share the results, eh?" Rory noted.

The Doctor and Amy both shot Rory a sour look for stating the obvious.

"Sorry." Rory muttered.

"Where are we going?" Amy asked to change the subject somewhat as they continued down the empty halls.

"Best place to look for something is the last place you remember having it, but since the last place I remember having my 'soul' was in the TARDIS we are going to have to go with the second best place to look for something."

"Where's that?"

"The last place you remember being without it."

As the Doctor lead them on the long journey through the depths of the ship he thought back on his own rude awakening on the ghost ship. Much like Rory he recalled that the original destination was the Crystal Festival, however he had the additional piece of remembering arriving in the ship after a rough ride instead. The next clear memories had not been a pleasant ones:

Jolting awake the Doctor instinctively battled against restraint, however when nothing held him down his violent motions only served to drop him to the floor. Disoriented and struggling to breath he managed to get as far as his hands and knees. Looking down at the golden glow that radiated from his skin helped him at least understand the confusion, regeneration was always a bit of a mind scrambler at first.

The Doctor was expecting the pain in his chest to subside and his breathing to come easier, but even after only a few seconds both had become unbearably worse. Still on all fours the Doctor shifted his weight enough to allow him to bring one hand up to his chest, when he bumped into cold steel he looked down.

"..." The Doctor gapped silently.

Speechless from the sight the Doctor just stared in horror at the pair of ornate silver dagger handles protruding from his chest. Each was perfectly centered over one of his hearts and had soaked his shirt in blood. He touched the one over his left heart gingerly at first, unsure of what to do. The shock of devastating injury kept him from acting until blood rose to the back of his throat.

Forced into action by the sudden inability to breath he grabbed the dagger handle and yanked the first blade out. Distracted by the effort of drawing the metal out the Doctor did not notice the trail of golden dust that swirled out of the wound and disappeared into the carvings on the handle as he dropped the weapon. With one blade removed he was able to take a shallow breath that he instantly used to cry out.

"Amy! Rory! Run!" The Doctor warned as loud as he could. "Run!"

The Doctor had no idea where they were, or if they could even hear him, he just didn't want them coming any closer. Even with the regeneration process desperately trying to reverse the damage the second blade kept filling his lungs with blood. Losing both his strength and focus the Doctor reached up and pulled on the blade that was sunk lower in his ribs. The metal was stuck in the bone and didn't come free.

"Run..."

Collapsing to the cold metal floor the Doctor closed his eyes and started to let darkness fade his thoughts away. He knew he would not survive with the intrusive metal in his side, but at the same time he was weary enough to not care. It wasn't until he realized that Amy and Rory were going to be stuck when and wherever they were that he forced himself to roll over on his back. He then reach up and took a hold of the hilt with both hands. Roaring in a combination of effort, determination, and pain he managed to tear the dagger free.

The relief was immediate and dropping the blade the Doctor chuckled in triumph weakly. As he laid on the floor recovering his pierced side leaked a swirling stream of gold dust that snaked its way across the floor and merged with the discarded dagger just as the first had done. The swirls, circles, and lines that matched the scars in his chest that were carved in the handle flashed brightly before going dull once more. Still recovering from the violent turn in events the Doctor had his eyes closed and he spent a good long while slipping in and out of consciousness.

"Doctor?" Amy asked.

Amy's voice jolted the Doctor back to the present. He barely remembered leading them down to the closed door that they were now standing in front of. Amy and Rory were looking at him expectantly. He had been so lost in thought that after guiding them to the door he had just stood in front of it motionless.

"I woke up in here." The Doctor said simply, not making a move to open the door.

"What's in there?"

"I don't know." The Doctor admitted as he still hesitated to open the door. "As you may recall I was fairly certain someone had tried to murder me so I got out in a bit of a hurry."

Still just standing in front of the closed door the Doctor reached out to touch the panel and pulled back again. Even without solid memories of everything that had happened his instincts were telling him this was a place best left alone. Amy stepped closer and put her hand on his shoulder for support. The Doctor looked to her and smiled before reaching out and pressing his hand against the contact that slid the door open.

"Oh dear, bit of a mess in here." The Doctor noted.

"That's a bit of an understatement." Rory countered.

Unlike the rest of the ship that had been pulled back through time completely untouched down to the art on the walls this one had been ripped apart. It wasn't easy to tell what the original design of the room had been. The ceiling was half torn out, wires and twisted chunks of metal were laying in melted heaps among scattered debris of machine parts that looked like they might fit well in the main chamber of the TARDIS. Every surface held scorch marks and gouges where flying pieces of metal had torn through panels.

In the center of the room was the bent and twisted remains of what looked to have been a nearly upright metal table. The ceiling above it had once held a device of some sort, but that was now in hundreds of pieces strewn about the room, the only evidence that it had been attached to the ceiling was a broken base attachment still bolted in place. The Doctor's attention had instantly been drawn to the center of the room. Walking over to the remains of the table he stared at it and tried to remember anything that had happened.

Amy's attention was more focused on the smear of dried blood across the floor. She followed the short trail away from the table and towards the corner. Laying in a congealed pool of dark red were the two identical curved blades the Doctor had pulled from his chest. Something about them seemed odd, and it took Amy a second to realize that despite being covered in blood and completely out of place the daggers also gave the impression of being completely unimportant. The incongruency of being both unusual and unimportant drew her closer.

"Doctor!" Rory called out in alarm.

Amy's interest in the knives was instantly lost. Looking over to where Rory and the Doctor were she could see that the Doctor's marks were starting to glow under his shirt again. Each time this was happening it seemed to be progressing slightly differently. Before it had clearly been a painful event, at the moment the Doctor looked more annoyed than anything.

"No, not now...not again..." The Doctor complained. "I don't have time for thi..."

The Doctor didn't get a chance to finish as the pattern flashed bright gold through the thin shirt and he instantly passed out and hit the floor. Fluttering his eyes open the Doctor looked around the once destroyed lab, only now it was no longer in pieces. For a brief moment he knew he was in a memory, but like slipping into a dream it quickly just became his new reality.

Weary to the bone the Doctor made no attempt to free himself from the ion restraints that kept his wrists secured to the upright metal table. He was starting to lose track of time, which wasn't something that had ever happened to him before. Just enjoying a rare moment of peace he watched the man over by the console as he typed into the computer. Although human in appearance the Doctor had the feeling he was not human. The middle aged looking man leaned a little closer to the console before speaking.

"Begin Entry 3496.9871, Dr. Jackles speaking: It has been five days of running three cycles a day and with each there is greater results. However the effects of the process on the subject have been unsettling, and increase with each cycle. I have done everything I can think of to try and ease the subject's pain, but nothing has helped and in some cases I have only enhanced it. Any attempts to render him unconscious only lasts minutes. I suppose tearing a creature's essence from him is not a torment that can be soothed by drugs. Other than the suffering we are causing the Time Lord he is tolerating the process well with no ill effects after the sessions other than a highly elevated appetite. On a personal note I wish the record to state that despite all the death the Time Lords brought to our world it does not bring me any sense of satisfaction to torture this one, however if we succeed here the number of lives changed and saved will be incalculable. End of Entry 3496.9871.'

Having made his entry Jackles turned and stepped to the center of the room. For the first time in his long life the Doctor found himself physically shaking at the approach of another. It took him a moment to figure out that the new sensation was a reaction to fearful anticipation. He had never feared what any one person could do to him enough to tremble when they came near. For a fraction of a second he actually found it fascinating. The closest thing he could use to describe it was the sensation that overtook him when he saw a Dalek. However with a Dalek there was also rage. He didn't know this man well enough to hate him, although he was getting there.

Keeping careful track of the scientist's every motion the Doctor tried to the think through the haze in his mind to come up with some kind of plan. He was having trouble with his memory so he wasn't sure what he had asked this man before, or what tactics he'd tried, but after hearing the latest journal entry at least he knew this man was not enjoying his work and that gave the Doctor an idea.

'Come closer, please.' The Doctor asked politely in a hoarse whisper.

"What?"

"Come closer...please."

"Why?" Jackles asked.

"I want to tell you something, but I have to whisper because it's something I tell almost no one, and it's certainly not something I say out loud anymore."

"What is it?'"

"My name."

"I know you're called 'The Doctor'."

"But that's not my name."

"I...I don't wish to know your name, Time Lord."

"I know. Which is exactly why I want you to hear it..."

Jackles took a step away from the Doctor rather than coming closer. He looked his victim over at first with suspicion, but then with a more sympathetic eye. Trying desperately to gain his tormentor's empathy the Doctor smiled sadly. The smile worked and after looking around to make sure no one was watching Jackles came close enough so that the Doctor could whisper in his ear. It wasn't a trick to lure the man closer for an attack, the Doctor was truly prepared to reveal himself to try and gain some trust in return.

"My name is..."

"Why haven't you started?" A woman's voice interrupted in a demanding tone.

"I was just about to." Jackles said quickly as he jerked away from the Doctor.

The Doctor sighed heavily as the woman entered the lab. He didn't know her name anymore than she knew his. What he did know was that she was in charge and that no one questioned her authority. Jackles reached up to start the device that would send him into into an an agonizing regeneration cycle that took hours to complete. Worse than the pain was the effort it took each time to keep the energy from cascading out of control and tearing through everything and everyone on the ship.

"Wait! Don't do that! Please, listen to me. You have to stop this. I'm trying to help you. I promise!" The Doctor pleaded for what felt like the thousandth time. "Keep doing this to me and I honestly don't know what will happen, but I do know you're putting everyone on this ship in terrible danger."

"Dr. Jackles I want this phase completed by tomorrow." The woman ordered, dismissing the Doctor entirely.

"Tomorrow?" Jackles asked shocked. "That will take working straight through, I would have to take him through the cycle multiple times without stopping to let him rest."

"It won't kill him."

"No, but he might be telling the truth abo..."

"Do it." The woman ordered. "We are running out of time, remember what's at stake."

"Yes, Mum."

With her orders given she turned to leave. With the threat of the experiments continuing again without chance for a break the Doctor finally did panic. He pulled uselessly at the energy field that kept him prisoner.

"Wait! Tell me, tell me what's at stake, please!" The Doctor cried desperately. "I swear I will try and help you if I can!"

"Your kind has already done enough to 'help', Time Lord. It lead to our ruin!" The woman snarled. "We will not make that mistake again!"

"Who are you?!"

"The fact that you do not know proves that the Time Lords learned *nothing* from their mistakes!"

The woman lashed out in anger and recklessly slammed her palm down on the control panel that activated the regeneration device. Arching back the Doctor wailed under the sudden intense radiation. Jackles yelped in alarm at what his leader had done and worked quickly reverse the abusive setting. Released from effects the Doctor was left panting for breath with his skin beginning to glow gold. He looked up at the woman, but saw no trace of remorse for the pain she'd just caused.

"I usually only give one warning, this is your final one." The Doctor said quietly. "Let me go."

"Never. You deserve your fate."

"Then so do you..."


	9. Chapter 9

NOTE: I'm working on some art for this story as well. Luckily for all you readers out there my work has been really slow this week (if I don't have patients I go home early, which can be nice but at the same time I make less money. It's Passover and I work at a Jewish transitional care unit and the non Jewish segment does not want to come and eat our Passover food so they are going to other care units). Anyway, the work in progress on the art is on my deviant art home page if you got to deviant art and search for 'Lemkin Factor' you'll find it.

PS- I will explain the title 'Lemkin Factor' at some point...I swear.

Anyway, this chapter was a BEAR to write so you'd better enjoy it!

Giggle

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Chapter Nine

Amy's stomach twisted violently as the Doctor's voice cracked in a heartbreaking cry. After having collapsed to the floor of the ruined lab once the gold dust had settled Rory had launched into full medical mode while Amy kept the Doctor's head up off the floor by laying it in her lap. Amy made sure to memorize every word of his one sided conversation to his captor while Rory made sure he was medically stable.

Once the Doctor had made his final threat he had degraded into animalistic cries of anguish. The first time he had lapsed into one of these unsual comas Amy's touch had been able to calm him. The second time it only lasted a few minutes so it hadn't been an issue. This time was different. It had been at least an hour and the only times the Doctor was silent were during the short periods when he was forced to catch his breath. Despite the horrific sounds he didn't fight or struggle, he simply twitched and jerked like a dog chasing a rabbit in its sleep.

As the Doctor started to lose his voice from the strain Amy looked desperately to Rory for him to do something. Although he'd already tried multiple times to wake the Doctor without success Rory tried again. Peeling the Doctor's eyelids back revealed a dilated pupil that did not respond light. Rory pressed his fingers against the Doctor's throat, it was difficult to find the pulse through the vibration of his vocal cords with his continual cries. Rory managed to find the heartbeat and just as before it was slow and even. Rory reached up and gently put his hand over the Doctor's mouth to muffle the sound a bit.

"I still don't think he's actually in any pain right now, Amy." Rory reassured her once again. "His heart is beating normally. It's just a dream."

"Not a dream," Amy shook her head "a memory."

"Either way, he'll wake up. We just need to wait."

Amy nodded but she cringed as the Doctor tensed screamed louder under Rory's hand. Just like being in a dream he wasn't thrashing to the point of being in danger of hurting himself, but Amy could tell the struggle inside his mind was far more violent than the physical display they were seeing. Amy's cheeks were stained with tears but when she looked down at the Doctor she suddenly felt a deep anger.

"How could anyone make another person suffer like this?" Amy demanded.

"I don't know." Rory admitted.

"I'm glad he killed them." Amy hissed darkly.

"Amy..."

"I mean it, Rory. I don't care what their reasons were, there is no excuse for this. I'm glad they're dead."

When Amy broke down into tears again Rory released the gentle hold he had on the Doctor so that he could comfort Amy. It didn't do any good as the Doctor's voice rose not only in volume but pitch as well until the sound was physically painful for Rory and Amy as well. Amy was certain that if there was any glass near by it would be breaking.

"Rory...I can't listen to this anymore, you have to do something! Anything!"

"It's a little unorthodox..."

"Do it!"

Rory nodded. He reached up and instead of gently putting his hand over the Doctor's mouth he clamped down over it. He used his other hand and pinched the Doctor's nose closed, effectively closing off his air supply. Amy looked at Rory in horror, but didn't stop him. There was a tense minute of silence while the Doctor's system figured out that it wasn't getting oxygen. When his newly ninety-eight percent human body did finally figure it out he snapped his eyes open as adrenaline forced him awake to deal with the oxygen emergency. Rory was shocked that it has actually worked and quickly pulled his hands away. The Doctor looked up at Rory warily for a moment.

"Doctor?" Rory asked hopefully.

"I don't think that's how CPR works, Rory." The Doctor pointed out in a scratchy voice.

"Are you okay?" Amy asked.

"I feel fine." The Doctor said honestly as he sat up. "Throat is a bit raw."

"Do you remember anything?"

"No." The Doctor shook his head. "Which is starting to become increasingly annoying."

"Perhaps it's for the best." Amy said quietly.

The Doctor turned to look at Amy and noticed the stress in her eyes and the tear stains. Feeling guilty for upsetting her he reached out and pulled her into a warm hug. Amy accepted the affection, but was far too weary to return it. She just rested her forehead against his shoulder and sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor apologized needlessly. "Don't worry about me, Pond. It's nothing I can't handle. Besides, whatever happened to me it's in the past anyway, right?"

"Right." Amy nodded as she pulled away.

"Did I say anything useful?"

"Mostly more warnings." Amy replied.

"You almost told them your name, but something interrupted you." Rory added.

"My name? Really?" The Doctor mused more to himself than the others. "That's interesting, that's very interesting..."

The Doctor slowly got to his feet and went to reach into his jacket pocket, only to realize that he wasn't wearing his jacket. He looked down at the plain white t-shirt and then around at the destroyed lab. Making a decision he stalked off toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked.

"I need my sonic if I'm going to put this place back together."

"You can put this wreck back together? You don't even know what it was to start with." Rory pointed out.

"There might be a spare bit or two left over when I'm done." The Doctor admitted.

"Are you sure we even want to put this back together?" Amy asked seriously as she looked at the twisted remains of the table.

"I need to know what it did to me, or we may never find a way to get home. Stay here, I'll be back."

Before Amy could protest any further the Doctor was out the door and there was the familiar sound of the transport beam. Although he had professed to not liking the technology he was becoming more familiar with it. Rory seemed content to do as he was told and sat down on one of the damaged consoles to wait.

Less interested in just being idle Amy started investigating around the messy lab once more. Once again she came across the daggers that she had dropped when the Doctor had gone into his 'spell'. Kneeling down she picked one of them up, again surprised by how easily she had forgotten about them. About the size of a small hunting knife the blade had beautiful balance and was slightly warm to the touch. The carvings in the handle looked familiar, but something wouldn't let her mind make the connection between the marks on the hilt and the mysterious pattern on the Doctor's chest.

Amy rubbed the dried flaking blood off the blade and tucked it under her belt. Her blouse was long enough to cover the blade and she almost instantly forgot about it. Catching sight of the second dagger she picked that one up as well. As she was cleaning the blood from second blade the Doctor returned in a flash of white transporter light.

Startled by the transporter Amy sliced her palm open on the razor sharp blade. The edge of the blade dragged a swirl of gold dust across the wound. The gold mixed with her blood and healed the cut without a trace before she even realized that she'd been injured. Distracted by the Doctor's return Amy simply tucked the second blade away along with the first and turned to join Rory and the Doctor. Amy smiled when she noticed that the Doctor had not just returned to the TARDIS to get his sonic screwdriver but had also changed his clothing, complete with blue bow-tie.

"I never thought I'd be pleased to see you wearing that bow tie." Amy chuckled. "But I'm positively tickled."

"If I'm going to try and become a Time Lord again I need to start by looking like one." The Doctor said proudly as he adjusted the tie.

"You're trying to tell me that all Time Lords have no fashion sense?" Amy asked skeptically.

"Oh if you could see what they wore on Gallifrey you'd realize just how fashionable I am compared to the rest." The Doctor chuckled. "Now then, let's get to work."

"I still don't see how you're going to fix this thing when we don't even know what it is." Rory complained.

"How can you still have so little faith in me after all this time, Rory?" The Doctor asked. "Didn't you ever play with puzzles as a kid? Come on, it will be fun."

Rory looked around at the hopeless mess doubtfully. The Doctor made himself busy with scanning various pieces of the debris. Flicking open the sonic he looked at the readings and started to try and make sense of them. Amy and Rory tried to help at first, but it quickly became apparent that they were better at getting in the way than anything else.

Several hours later the Doctor had separated out the various hunks of metal and wires into piles that he felt were the start of some organization. Sitting on the floor with their backs against one of the broken consoles Amy and Rory watched the Doctor as he continued to sift through the damaged technology while he muttered to himself.

"Okay...now we are getting somewhere." The Doctor announced.

"He keeps saying that." Rory said to Amy.

"It's his way of saying 'I have no idea what I'm doing' in a way that's meant to help us not panic."

"Shush you." The Doctor chastised. "I know exactly what I'm doing...well, maybe not exactly, but I built a TARDIS out of scrap so I can certainly build whatever this is."

"Any idea what it is?"

"Of course I have an idea, I have *hundreds* of ideas of what it is." The Doctor said indignantly as he tossed a vacuum tube looking part on one of the piles. "Actually there lies the problem, I have so many ideas as to what it could do that I'm having trouble narrowing it down to what it most likely does."

"Whatever it is they were obviously hurting you." Amy said.

"But not killing me." The Doctor added thoughtfully. "That lends itself to regeneration experiments...maybe there was a disease threatening the population of the ship, they were trying to extract a cure from me, instead the regeneration cycle overloads and knowing I'm about to kill everyone they do the only thing they can think of."

"And that would be?" Rory asked, not following.

"Kill me first. I woke with one of the very few injuries that are fatal to Time Lords, impaled through both hearts. However it was too late, there was so much energy that everything got ripped apart: this room, the people, my soul, time itself. So here were are: I managed to survive by becoming mostly human, the race is gone, and we're stuck in the past."

"That's...insane." Rory said. "But no more insane than anything else that's ever happened around you."

The Doctor took a breath to protest but couldn't think of a rebuttal.

"So you still think you can fix this?" Amy asked hopefully.

"I'll get you home, I promise."

Amy smiled and got to her feet. Stepping up to the Doctor she leaned in and kissed his cheek. She didn't expect him to react violently, but he jerked back as if she'd just slapped him. Taking a step back he whirled around as if looking for a bee that was buzzing around his head.

"Did you see that?" The Doctor demanded.

"See what?"

"Amy..." the Doctor said slowly as he reached out "...give me your hand."

Amy hesitated for a second before reaching out and taking the Doctor's hand. As soon as he took a hold of her hand Amy's vision started swimming. Tiny ribbons of fantastic color zipped around the room at speeds that made them impossible to track. At any one time there were only a few of them in her sight, but she got the feeling that was only because they were moving so fast that her mind was having trouble keeping up with them. They were not constrained by the walls or any other object and went right through everything at will. Looking at the Doctor she could see that he was also tracking the ribbons.

"What are they?" Amy asked in awe.

"So you can see it too?"

"Yes. What's happening?"

"I don't know why, but for some reason now when we touch I can see Time the way I used to and apparently you can see it as well."

"I'm looking at Time?"

"You're looking at distortions in Time, ripples from the ship being violently torn five billion years into the past."

"It's beautiful."

"Rory," the Doctor called "come here, take my hand."

Rory looked skeptical but he walked over and took the Doctor's other hand. He looked around unimpressed.

"I don't see anything." Rory announced.

"Try Amy's hand."

Rory shrugged and took Amy's other hand instead. He looked around with the same result.

"Nothing." Rory said. "Everything looks the same."

The Doctor broke contact with Amy and for both of them the ribbons vanished. Amy eyed the Doctor nervously as he used the sonic to scan her. He scanned himself before reaching out and taking her hand again and repeating the scan. Reading the sonic he furrowed his brow.

"Hmmmm..."

"Doctor?"

"I don't know what's changed in the past few hours." The Doctor admitted. "But together we now give off a weak Time Lord signature that is too faint to detect when we're apart."

"What does that mean exactly?"

"I don't kno...wait, it means together we might have enough power to fly the TARDIS!" The Doctor exclaimed in excitement. "Let's go!"

"Wait, what about fixing this...'thing', figuring out what happened, finding your soul, stopping your spells, making you a Time Lord agai..." Amy was cut off as the Doctor grabbed her wrist.

"I don't care about any of that." The Doctor interrupted as he hauled her out into the hallway.

"But..."

"But nothing, Amy, the only thing that matters is getting you two home."


	10. Chapter 10

NOTE: I totally should have been cleaning my house...but I worked on this instead. Damn you all! Giggle.

* * *

Chapter Ten

"Rory, I wish you could see this." Amy breathed in awe.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" The Doctor beamed.

Rory gave the pair a doubtful look. They had come to a small view port and beyond the glass Amy could see how the massive gravity of Gallifrey and its duel suns bent and slowed Time as it streamed and flowed around them. It was an almost imperceivable glittery flow, and yet she couldn't even imagine how she never noticed before. Amy suddenly understood why the Doctor often suddenly stopped and just stared in wonder at the most mundane looking things, through his eyes nothing was ordinary.

"Come on," the Doctor gentle squeezed Amy's hand "we should go."

"Just a few more minutes, please."

Amy could not tear her eyes away from the sight outside the glass, it was like seeing the whole Universe as a true living being for the first time. The Doctor chuckled at Amy as she looked out into space like a child looking into a gigantic aquarium for the first time. Eventually the Doctor pulled her away and they continued towards the TARDIS.

"How did you not notice right away that you'd lost this when you woke up?" Amy asked.

"I was very distracted." The Doctor replied defensively. "Imagine you woke up hurt, lost, alone, and you couldn't see the color purple. Don't you think you'd focus on the first three things before you looked around and said: 'wait a tick, where'd all the purple go?'."

"He's got a point." Rory said.

"I guess, it's just so amazing."

"You're just not used to it." The Doctor smiled. "I'm still not used to being so warm inside, it's a fantastic sensation that I'm constantly aware of."

"What?" Amy asked confused.

"My new human body temperature. I've always been so cold hearted, but now I just radiate heat and I love it."

"You're a lot of things, Doctor," Amy smiled and gave the Doctor's cheek a quick kiss "but 'cold heated' has never been one of them."

"I think I'm blushing." The Doctor flushed. "See? That's new. I've been told I turned pink, but now I can feel the heat in my cheeks as well...it's brilliant."

"You two sound like my flatmates after trying Ecstasy." Rory complained. "All touchy feely and 'oh look at the pretty colors'."

"Sorry, Rory," the Doctor apologized "experiencing being another species is fascinating."

"Yeah, I tried that once...it sucked."

"To be fair you were living plastic," the Doctor pointed out "it's hardly the same."

"Whatever."

Amy sobered somewhat at hearing Rory's hurt tone. She reached out with her free hand took a hold of Rory's hand to pull him closer. Although surprised Rory did not protest when she pushed herself up on her tip toes to give him a proper kiss. Still holding Amy's other hand the Doctor pretended to be fascinated with his watch for a moment.

"There you are Mr. Pond, a kiss from a lady 'Time Lord', what do you think?" Amy teased.

"Nice."

"Alright you two, that's enough." The Doctor smiled.

Amy kept a hold of both of her boys while they continued down the corridor. Coming around the corner Amy yelped at the sudden sight of a flickering space in the air in front of her. It looked like a terrible void in the hall surrounded by a halo of the fast moving ribbons. More than just a vision the oddity filled her heart with terror. The Doctor clearly saw it too and yanked his hand out of Amy's. With their conntact broken the distortion instantly vanished along with the fear it had brought. It had been about four feet tall, irregular in shape but no more than a foot or so wide.

"Uh...is everything okay?" Rory asked, not having seen anything.

"Doctor what was that?"

"It was...nothing." The Doctor said unconvincingly as he stared at the now normal spot. "Nothing."

"Seriously, Doctor, what was it?"

"It can't hurt us. Just don't...don't touch me until we get back to the TARDIS."

The Doctor made a point of putting his hands in his pockets before starting off down the hall again at a fast clip. Amy looked to Rory but he just shrugged. Reaching out Amy experimented with waving her hand through their air where the apparition had been, but nothing happened.

"Come along, Ponds!" The Doctor barked from up ahead.

"Amy?" Rory asked.

"Yeah...let's go." Amy sighed.

Amy and Rory followed along behind the Doctor as he lead them back to the TARDIS. They had not been in much of a rush before, the Doctor had clearly been amused by allowing Amy to enjoy her new vision. However now he was all business again and walking quickly with the singular purpose of returning them home.

Whatever the phenomenon had been it had destroyed the Doctor's light hearted mood. When they reached the TARDIS he stormed inside and went directly to the main console. He started throwing levers and slamming down buttons on the console as he prepared the TARDIS for flight. The intensity that now blazed in his eyes was terrifying even though he made no direct eye contact with either of his companions. He ground his teeth together hard enough to cause the muscles of his jaw line to harden and the cords of his throat to show in stark definition.

His every motion spoke of a growing violence just under the surface that was threatening to boil over at any moment. When Amy went to join the seething Doctor on the platform Rory held her hand tighter and shook his head to stop her. Amy pulled away from him and continued up onto the dais. She had seen this behaviour before, and although the Doctor looked dangerous she knew that she was safe. The Doctor was angry, but not at her, not at Rory, not even the situation they were in. Amy knew he only got this upset with one person: himself.

"Doctor..."

"Give me your hand, Amy." The Doctor demanded in a growl.

Refusing to look at her the Doctor just held his hand out. He had his other hand in a white knuckled grip on the final level that would send the TARDIS towards home. The Doctor was breathing heavily, clearly working to keep from losing his temper completely. His out stretched hand was trembling and Amy hesitated to take it.

"Doct..."

"Give me your hand!" The Doctor roared.

Rory rushed up onto the platform to pull Amy away. Amy held up one hand against Rory's chest to stop him and offered her other hand to the Doctor. Snatching her wrist caused the center pillar of the TARDIS to react as it jumped to life. Amy gasped as the interior of the TARDIS came into a whole new view for her. With everything in place all the Doctor had to do was pull the lever.

Amy held her breath waiting motionless. The Doctor was staring down at the console with his eyes tracking back and forth as he fought some internal battle. With every muscle tensed he was literally frozen in place. Sweat began to roll off his skin and drip from his hair as he continued to remain locked in indecision. Eventually he looked to Amy for help. Even though she wasn't sure what was happening she just shook her head to let him know that if he didn't think they should leave then they shouldn't.

Suddenly releasing both Amy and the TARDIS the Doctor jerked away from the console and stalked off down one of the TARDIS corridors. Once again the TARDIS went dim as it lost its connection with its Time Lord. Now that Amy had part of that in her own blood she could almost empathize with the ship, feeling its sorrow at not being given a chance to fly.

"What was that all about?" Rory asked confused.

"Just stay here."

Amy headed off in search of the Doctor. She had a fairly good idea where he'd gone to. Stepping into the dimly lit library Amy made her way towards the back. In the back corner was a heap of velvet pillows that the Doctor usually lounged in to read. At the moment he was sitting in them with his knees pulled up to his chest. With his chin resting on top of his knees he stared blankly forward. Amy crawled up on the mound of pillows and sat next to him. The Doctor looked over at Amy.

"Did it even occur to you that I might want some time alone?" The Doctor asked in a tone that suggested that he was glad she was there.

"Nope."

A genuine smile touched the Doctor's lips for a moment. Amy had grown used to the Doctor's quick changing mood over the years, however at times it could still be exhausting. Slipping back into melancholy he sighed heavily. Amy spent a moment trying to figure out what to say.

"Amy, do you know who Raphael Lemkin is?" The Doctor asked suddenly.

"I'm sorry, I don't."

"Amazing man, from Earth's history. A Polish lawyer. He and I used to have in depth conversations on the most horrible of topics...genocide."

"Genocide?"

"He coined the term, he also fought hard against it." The Doctor explained. "He drafted the 'Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide'. We spent hundreds of hours talking about my actions and how they related to his definition of genocide. In my case of course things are a little more complicated, there are those I truly hate like the Dalek, others that I've destroyed without remorse to save the Earth such as the Rancor, my own people who were set on destroying the Universe itself and gave me no choice... One way or another I am personally responsible for the destruction of an alarming number of species. Together Lemkin and I came up with a complex sliding scale to help me determine if and when I ever became a War Criminal."

"That's what you meant when you said you had to think on your new 'Lemkin Factor'."

"This ship has the feel of an Ark, I fear that whoever was aboard that they were the last of their kind."

"This wasn't a War, Doctor. You're a victim here, you warned them, time and time again you warned them to stop, and they just kept torturing you. They played with fire and got burned, it's not your fault that they're gone."

"It will be my fault if we leave."

"What do you mean?"

"The people on this ship, they aren't dead, they just didn't make the full trip." The Doctor admitted in misery.

"I don't understand."

"They are stuck out of phase, out of sync with the time stream of the Universe. I did worse than kill them, I trapped them. What you saw is a projection of one of them...a soul stretched out across five billion years of Time."

"Ca...can they feel anything?" Amy asked in horror. "Are they aware?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Are you sure it was a person? It was so small."

"What did you see?"

"Just kind of a blob."

"My Time vision is clearer than yours, there is no denying what I saw."

"What exactly did you see?"

The Doctor didn't answer he just went back to staring at his shoes. Amy allowed him a moment of peace, but the long he sat in silence the more despondent he became. Just as she had done so many times before Amy leaned her shoulder against his for moral support. This time when she touched him the books suddenly gave off a warm comforting glow, Amy ignored the effect as she continued to try and encourage the Doctor to tell her what he had seen in the corridor.

"Doctor?"

"A child, Amy, I saw a child."


	11. Chapter 11

Note for FutureFBI: Hi there, you leave such wonderful comments but don't log in so I can never reply. To answer your question, it is not in the canon anywhere that Time Lords see Time in 'colour' per se, however it is mentioned (particularly in Classic Who) that they do see it and they can see distortion in Time particularly well. It's also noted by both the 10th and 11th Doctors that they can sense the difference in fixed and flux points in time, and the 10th Doctor laments on a few occasions that he can see all that is, all that was, and all that ever could be and treats it as a curse. So I've gone ahead and put my own spin on it with a bit of a 'sensory overload' type aspect to it from Amy's point of view, but still something beautiful and not maddening because the effect is filtered through Doctor since she only experiences with him.

Note for the rest of my beloved readers: Not that you're not welcome to the info above. I just want to give a general shout out for the encouragement I've received...it keeps me writing! Hugs!

PS- Short chapter is short. Short chapter is a also 'Eye of the Storm' chapter, a nice bit of calm before things get all exciting again. Enjoy!

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Chapter Eleven

Having confessed to what he'd seen the Doctor had fallen once more into a self destructive introspective silence. Amy watched helplessly as he raked his hands through his hair a few times. He was becoming more anxious by the second.

"Everything's going to be okay." Amy said with as much confidence as she could muster.

"That's my line, Pond." The Doctor said with a slight smile.

"It works on me, I was hoping it would work on you."

Proving that it had the Doctor put his arm around Amy's shoulders and pulled her in closer so that he could kiss her forehead. Instantly feeling more relaxed Amy was able to pay more attention to the way that the books around them began to cast their soft light when the Doctor touched her. Until now she had never understood why the library was so poorly lit, suddenly it made perfect sense.

"Now you know why I retreat here." The Doctor commented as he saw her admiring the books.

"Why do they glow like that?"

"Because each one is a piece of history, a piece of Time." The Doctor answered as he looked fondly up at the softly glowing books. "They are all original first editions, signed by the authors to me."

"I'll never look at a musty old book the same way again."

"I certainly hope not."

"I still don't understand how I ended up with a piece of you."

"Neither do I, but it presents me with the dire reality that I will never be a Time Lord again."

"Don't say that," Amy chastised "we'll find your soul. Promise."

"It's not that easy anymore. I can't pick up all the pieces if it's been shattered."

"Doctor..."

"That's all you have, Amy, a shard. Which is a gift, because any more than just this trace that you've found and it would drive you mad." The Doctor interrupted seriously. "Together we can just barely get the TARDIS to respond, I would not be surprised if it stops working after one or two trips. Which adds another complication to staying here and trying to save the people on this ship."

"It might take what little Time Lord energy we have to do it." Amy said. "And then we're stuck here."

"I promised to take you home, but I may not be able to keep that promise if we help. There is also no saying that they'll be grateful to be saved. I would love to believe that they *needed* something from me, but it might be that they simply *wanted* it."

Amy thought about the prospect of being stuck five billion years in the past on a ship of what very well might turn out to be a hostile alien race. Without even really knowing why Amy reached out and untied the Doctor's bow tie and then unfastened the top three buttons so that she could look at the marks on his skin. The Doctor furrowed his brow but he didn't stop her. When Amy traced one of the marks the Doctor automatically flinched.

"That hurts?"

"Like I said before, it just stirs some locked memory of pain. It's not a clear memory, but it is a powerful one. Whatever happened...I did not enjoy it."

"Maybe we should just go home." Amy said quietly. "After what these people did, maybe they don't deserve any better. 'Need' or 'Want' they never gave you a chance to help them. The last time you blacked out you were begging someone to just tell you what they wanted, offering to help if you could. Mercy was not high on their list of priorities."

"True." The Doctor mused. "I'm certainly not overly fond of the idea of saving the men who did this to me. However, there were thousands of people on this ship. Do you think all of them wanted to have me torn apart?"

Feeling guilty for even having suggested that they leave the ship's inhabitants to their fate Amy didn't answer. It never occurred to her that the Doctor believed that the answer to his question could actually be 'yes'.

When an uncomfortable silence fell Amy busied herself with rebuttoning the Doctor's shirt. She knew that he was looking at her, waiting for her to say something more, but she couldn't bring herself to face him. Amy bought herself a few moments by trying and failing to redo the blue bow tie. Eventually the Doctor reached up and stopped her by taking her hands in his own. When she finally looked up Amy was surprised to find the Doctor's eyes searching her face for answers.

"Doctor?"

"Amy...what are we going to do?" The Doctor asked softly. "Do we go or do we stay?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because I'm not to be trusted with this decision."

"Why not?" Amy asked confused.

"I already broke rule seven."

"Remind me which on that is?"

"'Never run when you're scared.'. I saw that little girl in the hall and I was so scared. Of what I had done, of what I might not be able to undo...scared of the fact that I didn't even really want to try and fix it. I ran, I hid in my little box, and if it wasn't for you I would have run another five billion years away."

"No you wouldn't have." Amy said confidently. "You may have pretended to look to me for help, but you didn't need it. Even now, you already know what to do."

"So tell me."

"Of course we are going to stay."

Amy was surprised by how relieved the Doctor looked to have the decision made for him as if there was even truly a choice to be made. He still had her hands in his own, he briefly brought them to his lips before releasing her. The Doctor leaned back slightly and stared at her in pure admiration.

"Thank you, Amy."

"For what?"

"Helping me to forgive and to do what's right."

"Doctor, what are you talking about? You don't need me to keep you on the right path."

"Oh, Pond," the Doctor smiled sadly "you have no idea how wrong you are."


	12. Chapter 12

Note: Enjoy some Classic Who call backs in this chapter courtesy of TARDIS Data Core Wiki...if you want to know *anything* Doctor just head on over there and they can help. I've seen some Classic Who, but I'm basically NuWhovian scum, giggle.

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Chapter Twelve

"Okay...I try not to be the jealous type, I really do, and in all fairness I think I've been fairly cool and understanding all things considered. But if you two are going to start running off together and coming back all holding hands, and shirt buttons all done up wrong, and...and bow tie all *untied*, I am really going to have to start...I don't know...putting my foot down...or something."

"You're so cute when you're insecure." Amy chuckled at Rory.

"You must think him down right adorable right now." The Doctor teased.

Rory crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look menacing. Amy released her hold on the Doctor's hand and walked over to Rory. The Doctor looked down and noticed that Rory was right, Amy hadn't lined his buttons up right. He worked on correcting the situation and retying the bow. Amy put her arms around Rory's waist, he tried to still look upset.

"Don't pout, Mr. Pond." Amy kissed Rory's cheek. "I love you, you know that."

"Yeah...I know." Rory tried not to smile but failed. He looked at the Doctor and back at Amy. "Everything alright now?"

"Right as rain!" The Doctor exclaimed as he twirled around in place with his usual over abundance of energy.

"Whatever that means." Amy muttered. "That saying never made any sense to me. I mean I know that it means that everything is in good order, but why?"

"Oh! I know why!" The Doctor said as he put the finishing touches on his bow tie. "Took me a long time to hunt that one down. One of the more slippery sayings that I went looking for."

"I'm sorry, what?" Rory asked confused.

"'Right as rain.', I went looking for it. When you have a time machine you can go back and forth until you pin point where an idiom is born in a language. William Lyon Phelps told me the expression must have been invented by an Englishman since all it ever does in London is rain, if it's raining everything is clearly in order in England and therefore if it's raining everything must be all right. Right as rain. He also said we might as well say 'Wrong as sunshine'. Brilliant man but typical American attitude towards Britain's weather. ...he wasn't wrong though."

Amy and Rory just stared at the Doctor as he rambled. When he was done Rory raised his eyebrows as he turned to Amy.

"At least he sounds more like himself." Rory noted. "Which I guess is good."

"Of course it's good," the Doctor eyed Rory questioningly "why wouldn't it be good? Never mind. Don't answer that. I suppose we should tell you what is going on."

"That would be nice. Yes."

Rory listened carefully as the Doctor and Amy took turns explaining to him everything they had seen in the corridor and their theories on the fate of the inhabitants of the ship. Rory didn't ask any questions while they talked. When they were done Rory was silent for moment while he thought about it.

"So...we are going to bring the people who were experimenting on you, despite you begging them not to and warning them this might happen, out of the time distortion and back onto the ship and then basically hope that they don't want to kill us?" Rory summarized.

"Yes." Amy nodded.

"And we all agree that's a good idea?"

"Yes." The Doctor nodded.

"And how are we going to do that?"

"By doing something extraordinarily clever!" The Doctor beamed.

"Such as?"

"I don't know, I haven't figured that part out yet." The Doctor admitted in a more subdued tone. "I'm much too hungry to think."

"Hungry?" Rory repeated. "You've *got* to be kidding."

"No, I'm not, honest. Speaking of idioms 'I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse'...actually that sounds really good right about now."

"Doctor!" Amy exclaimed in horror.

"What? I'm starving." The Doctor complained pitifully.

"You just ate enough to put an All You Can Eat restaurant out of business, like four hours ago." Rory pointed out.

"I know." The Doctor agreed. "I didn't think this body would be this much work, but I'm absolutely famished. I've trying to ignore for the past hour it but it's just getting worse."

"This isn't normal." Rory reached out put the back of his hand against the Doctor's forehead check his temperature.

"There is no telling what is normal for me," the Doctor said as he dogged Rory's hand "I'm not quite human, I'm not exactly Time Lord, this is just how it i..."

"It's easy enough to fix." Amy interrupted. "Eat first, save mystery people stuck in time second. Sound like a plan?"

The Doctor brightened at Amy's suggestion and ran off up the stairs and disappeared. Rory and Amy waited for a moment. The Doctor reappeared at the top of the stairs with a sheepish look.

"Kitchen is downstairs, isn't it?" He asked.

"Yup." Amy said simply.

"Right." The Doctor said as he corrected his course. He paused at the doorway and looked back at the pair. "Can I get either of you anything? Tea, Jammy Dogger...rack of lamb?"

"Uh...no, thanks, all good." Rory declined.

"I'm fine." Amy added.

"You're sure? It's no trouble."

"We're sure." Amy replied for them both.

The Doctor waited for another second in case they changed their mind and then disappeared down the hall. Amy stared sightlessly at the empty doorway, lost in thought. Rory shifted his weight uncomfortably. He had really hoped that when the pair came back that Amy would have talked the Doctor into taking them home.

"Should we be worried about his eating?" Rory asked seriously.

"One problem at a time, Rory."

"Right. Speaking of which...what happened to you being glad that everyone on board was dead?"

"The Doctor put me back on the right path."

Winding his way through corridors of the TARDIS the Doctor wrapped his arms over his stomach and did his best not to start dry heaving. He had tried to act as though the unusual hunger didn't worry him too much around Amy and Rory for their sakes, but it terrified him. Getting to the kitchen he tore into a package of sugar. Dumping the full pound of sugar into a bowl he added just enough water to make it easy to swallow. Tipping the bowl up he sucked down the sugar water.

Feeling slightly better the Doctor went through the cabinets in search of anything sweet. He quickly learned that the regular sugars in the kitchen were not enough to satisfy his hunger. Against the back wall was a locked cabinet glass display cabinet full of beautiful glass jars filled with all colours of thick liquids. Over the centuries he had been gifted the most spectacular syrups, jellies, and honeys from every corner of Space and Time.

Without even thinking about it the Doctor raced over the cabinet and used the sonic to unlock it. He carelessly gathered them all up in armfuls and brought them to the floor. Surrounded by the diverse glass jars the Doctor sat cross legged on the floor. Frantically opening jars that he had treasured for so long the Doctor drank the thick saccharine treats as quickly as he could manage.

Half an hour later the Doctor was covered in sticky sweet residue but the hunger was finally gone. He looked down at the empty glass jars of his decimated collection with a sudden pang remorse. He was glad Amy wasn't here, if she had touched him the full jars would have glowed just like the books. He hated to think what they would look like now that they had been ripped open and carelessly consumed.

The Doctor reached out slowly and picked up a plain looking jar from the floor. The a now empty glass had held a very rare hibiscus blossom honey from Wales, a gift from his dear friend Goronwy during his Seventh regeneration. In his eating frenzy he couldn't even remember what it tasted like among all the other sweets. Sighing heavily the Doctor put the lid back on the nearly empty jar. He got to his feet and gently placed it back in its place in the display case. He kept his hand on the jar.

"I don't know what's happening, but I'll figure it out. And I won't let Amy and Rory pay for any mistakes I make along the way, I promise. No matter what path that may take me on."


	13. Chapter 13

NOTE: This was a really hard to chapter to write hence the delay. Enjoy!

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Chapter Thirteen

"This will never do."

The Doctor had washed the honey and jams residue off his hands, and face but his shirt was stained in a myriad of colors. He wandered the halls until he came to one of the rooms that held a connector closet. The closet had a panel that let him connect it to any of the other closets by just entering the right combination, a real time saver when there were literally hundreds of closets on board.

Connecting to one of his wardrobes he pulled out a new dress shirt. Taking the shirt over to the spare bed he tossed it down and pulled off his jacket. As he went to start working on the buttons on the stained shirt the marks on his ribs started to tingle. Looking down he could see through the white shirt that the skin was already starting to glow.

"This shouldn't be able to happen." The Doctor complained.

The Doctor rushed over to the mirror and tore his shirt open so he could see what was happen to the pattern. The purplish scars began to burn as they regressed into what looked more like fresh wounds under the golden glow of the regeneration. The Doctor was so focused on trying to figure out what was happening that it didn't occur to him to call for Amy and Rory.

"They keep trying to heal, but how ca..."

The golden glow changed to a powerful white flash that knocked the Doctor back to the floor. Convulsing against a powerful seizure the Doctor's eyes rolled back to white as he sent back into one of the memories that managed to stay hidden when he was awake. Determined to bring this memory back to the conscious world with him he battled to keep the thought that it was just a dream, but it was a fight he didn't have the power to win.

Back on the upright metal table under the cruel radiation of the unknown alien device the Doctor pulled at the ion restraints that kept his wrist over his head. He had lost the physical ability to cry out hours ago, now when the continuous torment escalated above his threshold for tolerance he simply twisted and writhed against the restraint as he shivered uncontrollably. In the throws of one of these silent fits now the Doctor lolled his head from side to side delusionaly as a wave of tremors wracked his entire frame. Angry that death wouldn't just take him he ground his teeth against one another. The sudden cold touch of a wet cloth against his face brought a surprising amount of comfort and he relaxed his jaw.

"It's almost over." Jackles said softly.

The Doctor had heard this particular lie from Jackles so many times before that it only meant the opposite to him now. Forced into quick shallow breaths he couldn't even growl at Jackles to let him know he'd rather be left alone to suffer than be lied to. Trying to shut the man out the Doctor closed his eyes and worked on not letting the singing of his nerves drive him insane. Jackles continued to try and sooth him with the cool cloth, but when the Doctor starting trying to pull away from his touch he stopped.

"For what it's worth I know you don't deserve this." Jackles sighed sadly. "I was expecting to work with a truly ancient creature, but you're practically a child among your kind...and yes, I know that makes me a monster."

It took the Doctor a moment to open his eyes and a few more for him to keep them from wandering around and actually focus on Jackles. The strain of being a torturer was evident on the man's face. Seeing his chance to once again talk some sense into these people and ending this the Doctor searched for his stolen voice. He poured all of his strength into gathering enough breath to speak, he would only have energy for one word but he knew one that would work.

Jackles looked like he wanted to back away but he gave the Doctor his full attention anyway, even holding his own breath to help him hear. Once again the Doctor attempted to share his true name through the haze of pain. Jackles actually stepped closer but was suddenly distracted when one of the consoles beeped desperately at him. Jackles instantly ran to it and read what it had to say before turning to look back to the Doctor.

"This is it." Jackles said solemnly. "Good luck, Time Lord."

The Doctor closed his eyes and bowed his head in defeat. Even though it was clear that something was about to happen he managed to relax, no longer caring what happened to any of them. Whatever they wanted they could take it and he hoped it killed them all. Jackles did something with the settings that suddenly motivated the Doctor into finding his voice again, but he couldn't do anything useful with it. Unlike the countless hours of comparatively dull pain before this was only a few seconds worth of a sharp agony that almost instantly broke his consciousness.

Snapping awake on the floor of the spare bedroom the Doctor sat bolt upright. For a brief moment he recalled part of the memory. However recalling being in mind reeling pain wasn't very useful. As the memory faded completely he looked down at the now quiet scars on his chest with an annoyed expression.

"If you're trying to tell me something I am not getting the message. Can you try something else?"

The Doctor waited for a moment to see if there would be any reaction, but nothing happened. Rolling his eyes he got to his feet and went over to where the new shirt was still waiting. He hoped he hadn't been out for too long and that he hadn't made too much noise. Getting dressed he made his way back out to the main chamber of the TARDIS.

Amy and Rory were still waiting up on the dais. They didn't look overly concerned so the Doctor decided he couldn't have been gone too long. Amy had her back to him as he approached and when she turned the Doctor noticed a flash of silver from under the back of her blouse. It didn't just catch his attention it sent a wash of fear through his heart.

"Get enough to eat?" Amy teased.

"Yes." The Doctor answered in a distracted tone as he joined them on the dais. "Amy?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Do you have something tucked in the back of you belt?"

"What?"

Amy furrowed her delicate brow, she had no idea what the Doctor was talking about. She reached back and felt the back of her jeans. When her hand came in contact with the hilt of one of the daggers it took her a moment to remember where she'd picked them up. She reached under her shirt and pulled out both blades.

"Why do you have those?" The Doctor demanded as he took a step back.

"I don't know." Amy shrugged. "I just felt like I should take them. I'd actually forgotten about them, which seems od..."

"Get rid of them." The Doctor said firmly.

"What?"

"I don't like weapons."

"I know bu..."

"No exceptions, I don't want you carrying those things around. I'll protect you. Promise. Get rid of them."

Amy found herself hesitant to part with the daggers without knowing why. She looked to Rory but he didn't seem to have an opinion about them one way or another. Not really wanting to argue with the Doctor over them she tried to offer them to him. He jerked away from her and bumped into the TARDIS console.

"I don't want them." The Doctor put his hands behind his back. "Just...just put them in one of the cupboards or something."

Walking over to the wall Amy pulled open the closet that the Doctor had earlier been rooting around in while looking for the pocket watch. She looked into the cluttered and disorganized space and felt anxious about leaving the daggers there.

"Can I leave them in my room?" Amy asked.

"I don't care, I just don't want to look at them."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

The Doctor leaned against the console and crossed his arms over his chest while Amy ran off to put the daggers away. Rory stayed behind with the Doctor to wait. While the Doctor had been away in the kitchen he and Amy had decided that it would be best if one of them tried to keep an eye on the Doctor in case he fell into another spell.

"Has she always been like that?" The Doctor asked Rory casually.

"Like what?"

"Attracted to shiny things?"

"Yeah."

"I guess that's why 'diamonds are a girl's best friend' while man gets the dog. I like dogs. But there is something about females of all species and stuff that glitters. I don't know, they just seem like such complicated creatures when compared to us, Rory. I'm a thousand years old and I still don't understand them, and I understand a lot of things. I've thought about trying it myself, but I've never worked up the courage to actually go through with it."

"I'm sorry...the courage to try what?" Rory asked confused.

"Being a woman."

"I don't know why I ask you clarifying questions, I'm always horrified when I get the answers. Also I never know if you're joshing me or not."

The Doctor looked at Rory and chuckled. A noise caught the Doctor's attention and he turned to see what had caused it. Rory caught sight of a splatter of bright red staining the Doctor's skin behind his ear. Rory automatically reached out to move the Doctor's unruly hair out of the way to see if there was an injury.

"Oy!" The Doctor complained as he pulled away. "Keep your nurse hands to yourself, I'm fine. Swear."

"Doctor, is that blood behind your ear?" Rory asked in concern.

"Blood?" The Doctor reached up and found the sticky spot behind his ear. He looked at the red stain it left on his finger before tasting it. "Ah, no, that's hibiscus honey."

"How did you get honey behind your ear?"

"I was..."

"Wait, please don't answer that." Rory interrupted quickly. "I am begging you not to answer that. I really don't know why I keep asking. It's like I never learn. Ignore me."

Honouring Rory's wishes the Doctor didn't answer the question. Licking his hand the Doctor cleaned behind his ear like a cat. Amy returned and joined the boys on the TARDIS dais. The Doctor reached out with one arm and pulled Amy in on one side and then did the same to Rory on the other side, drawing the pair into a group hug. Amy returned the affection, Rory tolerated the contact. The Doctor kept them captive for the moment.

"We are in a bit of a different situation than usual, agreed?" The Doctor asked rhetorically.

"Not really." Rory replied anyway.

"What do you mean not really?" The Doctor asked indignantly.

"He has a point, Doctor." Amy said. "We're always finding some sort of trouble and weirdness, this isn't all that unusual."

"Yes, but in those other cases I tended to be more..." the Doctor searched for the next word.

"Time Lordy?" Rory provided.

"Myself." The Doctor corrected. "I just want to make sure that if something goes wrong that you will run, no matter the cost."

"Wait a minute," Amy pulled away "are you trying to tell us that we should abandon you if things go wrong? Just leave you behind to save our own skins?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying, in fact I demand it."

"No way, Doctor." Amy shook her head. "Don't even bother arguing the point, it isn't happening."

"I can't guarantee your safety if you sta."

"You never really can, no matter what you may have thought in the past. We all leave together or none of us do."

"Why won't you listen to reason?" The Doctor demanded.

"Because you're not being reasonable."

The Doctor took a breath to protest but realized he didn't have anything to say. He smiled and leaned in to kiss Amy's forehead. She gave him a serious look for a moment to make sure he knew she meant what she had said before she soften her expression.

"So what's the plan?" Amy asked.

"First we need to go take a better look at one the people stuck in the time distortion."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"I believe we're waiting for me to learn that I can't win an argument with you." The Doctor replied.

Amy and the Doctor chuckled, but Rory still wasn't so sure that what they were doing was the best idea. However unlike the Doctor he had learned long ago that there was no wining an argument with Amy, the best he could do was be there to protect her the best he could when things went wrong.

Back out in the ship they made their way back to the bridge before the Doctor offered his hand to Amy. She was a little nervous about taking it after seeing the time distortion the first time. The Doctor didn't rush her and flashed her a reassuring smile. Finding the courage Amy reached out and took his hand. She gasped sharply as the flickering images jumped into view and caused her blood to run ice cold. There were at least two dozen people trapped on large floor level of the bridge. Unlike the void she had seen before these shapes looked like featureless humans. They still filled her with fear to look at.

"Close your eyes, Amy." The Doctor suggested. "I'll guide you."

"It's cold." Amy said as she closed her eyes.

"I noticed that this time as well." The Doctor nodded. "Either the distortion is more powerful at this end of the ship or somehow you are."

"Me?"

"Everything just feels in better 'focus'...it's hard to explain."

"You two can actually see people?" Rory asked. "What are they doing? I don't suppose you can tell if they are friendly?"

The Doctor stepped a little closer to one of the apparitions and studied it. The appearance was very human, but just off enough to let him know they were alien. An expert in concurrent galaxy wide evolution theory had once explained to him why so many planets evolved humanoid beings, of course the Doctor had argued that Gallifrianoid would be a much better term. The faded figure in front of him was just frozen in mid stride.

"They don't look aggressive." The Doctor reported. "They are also calm, just going about their day as if it's any other. The moment this happened they were not panicked, and they don't look they they were preparing to take a five billion year jump into the past."

"Then why do you keep warning everyone that you're about to kill them all?" Rory asked.

"I'm probably not warning everyone, more likely just the few people holding me. This is a really big ship. Which is why we're not just walking away, Rory. I think there are a lot of innocent people here."

"Can we help them?" Amy asked.

"Of course. I may not be a Time Lord at the moment, but I'm still the Doctor."


	14. Chapter 14

Note: The digital painting that goes along with this story is done over at my home page on deviant art. Just search for Lemkin Factor, you'll find it right off.

Enjoy! I really should have been sleeping, but I decided on sacrificing my health for my readers instead.

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Chapter Fourteen

"I'm confused." Rory admitted. "Are they going to end up here with us or back in the future?"

"I don't know." The Doctor replied annoyed as he pulled the top off the large bridge console. "What part of the Haldon Time Flux Uncertainty Spacial Principle didn't you understand?"

"All of it really." Rory admitted.

"It's simple, these people are stretched out across Time with two anchor points, the present and the point in the future where they initiated the jump backwards. Think of it like a rubber band behind held at two ends and stretched, except it's not like that, now if I can stress that stretch just a little more one of the ends should come free. Then SNAP! They will instantly end up back at either the start or the end."

"Or the rubber band will just break."

"That...is also a possibility." The Doctor admitted begrudgingly.

"What happens in that case?"

"No idea." The Doctor swept the inside of the console with the sonic before he turned on Rory. "Have you got a better idea?"

Rory just looked at the Doctor blankly.

"I didn't think so." The Doctor pulled a brightly coloured wire out of the control panel, snapping it in half in the process. "Hold this."

Rory automatically took the offered wire.

"Don't let the end of it touch anything else, it's got about a jillion volts of electricity running through it." The Doctor warned casually before looking down into the console and pulling at some more wires and tubes.

"What?!" Rory's voice cracked in fright as he held the wire out at arm's length.

"Hey, I said be careful. Just hold still."

Holding the wire like the deadly object that it was Rory remained frozen in place. Unconcerned the Doctor crawled all the way down into the console and disappeared. He had lowered the gravity inside so that he could 'swim' around in among the wires, tubes, and panels more easily. Rory could hear him mucking around and rearranging things along with the high pitched noise that the sonic screwdriver made. Too terrified to even breath Rory kept his grip on the wire as his palms started to sweat. Eventually the Doctor surfaced and grabbed the wire Rory was holding by the exposed end.

"Doctor!" Rory cried in alarm.

"What?"

It took Rory a second to realize that the wire wasn't hurting the Doctor despite the fact that he had a hold of the frayed metal end. The Doctor's eyes were gleaming with mischief as he looked at Rory in amusement.

"You said that wire was live." Rory growled.

"I lied." The Doctor chuckled.

"I hate you." Rory said sourly.

"Just keeping you on your toes."

"I don't need to be 'kept on my toes' by pranks," Rory complained "there are plenty of real threats around you to do the job."

Smiling brightly the Doctor put the wire between his teeth to hold it and disappeared back down inside the tangle of wires and conduits again. Rory pantomimed strangling the out of sight Doctor for moment. Turning around Rory crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the console that the Doctor was rooting about inside.

Rory caught sight of Amy coming back to the main deck and pushed himself away from the console. Rory was high up on the suspended bridge so Amy was a good distance away but Rory still sensed that something wasn't quite right. She didn't walk in a straight path from the entrance to the base of the stairs to join them. Instead she wove a path like a winding river across the empty floor before getting to the stairs. Joining Rory on the bridge she stared out the forward window at Gallifrey below.

"Such a beautiful planet." Amy purred.

"Amy?" Rory asked in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Never been better."

"You were gone longer than I expected."

"I couldn't find a lou, rather than pee on the floor I decided to just go back to the TARDIS."

"Amy?" The Doctor called from inside the console. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Doctor. Who else would Rory be talking to?"

"Good point. I need a hand."

The Doctor had meant the request quite literally and reached his hand up out of the interior of the console. Amy reached out and took his hand. Rory furrowed his brow, he could have sworn that he'd seen a slight golden glow for a moment when they'd touched that hadn't been there before. He looked closer at the pair holding hands, but couldn't see anything now.

"Ah, yes, that's much better." The Doctor reported from inside the console. "I can see why this isn't working now. Hang on."

Amy found herself pulled shoulder deep into the console while the Doctor attempted to fix the problem.

"The technology on this ship is fairly impressive even by Time Lord standards." Amy noted as she looked around.

"How do you know that?" Rory asked.

"Isn't it obvious? They must already have highly advanced technology or how else could the Doctor effect a time redistribution to maximize the distortion stretch with just some minor adjustments to the hexonal ionic variable power flow converter?"

"Amy, how do you know that?" Rory asked again with growing concern.

"Because she was paying attention when I explained it." The Doctor replied as he released Amy. He pulled himself up out of and onto the edge of the console. "Amy's always been such a good listener."

Sitting on the edge of the console the Doctor brought one leg up and crossed it over his knee so that he could untie his shoe. Dropping the shoe he pulled off his sock and wiggled his toes. He offered his now barefoot to Amy but she just raised an eyebrow and looked at him blankly.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

"I need both my hands to fix the problem, but I also need to 'see' and our connection works best with skin to skin contact." The Doctor explained.

"You expect me to hold on to your foot?"

"It's not like it's got any diseases, that I know of." The Doctor said in a hurt tone as he inspected his foot. "If anything it's a good sight cleaner than my hand. Hands are always touching things, picking up bacteria and what not, disgusting things hands."

"He has a point, Amy." Rory agreed.

Amy sighed and hesitantly reached out and took a hold of the Doctor's foot.

"Ack!" The Doctor exclaimed as he jerked his foot away from her almost losing his balance.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the Doctor held his foot crossed over his knee and looked it over "I just never knew I was ticklish. It's delightful and horrible all at the same time. I don't think I like it."

"You're kidding...right?"

"No." The Doctor replied seriously. "This could be a problem."

"Oh, just suck it up."

Amy grabbed the Doctor's foot with one hand and shoved his chest with the other to send him tumbling back into the open console. Amy kept her grip on the Doctor's ankle as he twisted and worked his way to where the inner panel he needed was. A vulpine grin suddenly slipped across Amy's face and she brought her free hand up to properly tickle the sole of his foot. Unable to pull away in the cramped low gravity space inside the console the Doctor squawked in protest as he laughed.

"Oy! Sto...stop that! Oy!" The Doctor gasped through his giggling. "Amy! I'm trying to work!"

"You're a cruel woman, Amy Pond." Rory smiled.

"You love it." Amy stopped tormenting the Doctor and gave Rory a quick kiss.

"I do actually." Rory replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What is going on out there?" The Doctor ask.

"You don't want to know." Amy informed.

"When this is done I'm checking hormone levels on you both." The Doctor threatened.

Rory was starting to think that might not be such a bad idea. He was having trouble pin pointing what was wrong, but he felt that Amy being so affectionate was definitely part of it. Before Rory could think too long on the subject the Doctor announced his success and climbed out of the console with the end of a thick black wire in hand.

"Okay, next step we need to get this up there." The Doctor held up the wire and gestured up towards the ceiling. "It needs to be tied around anything metal up there to act as a conductor."

"That's got to be over a hundred meters up," Rory guessed "how are we going to get it up there?"

"Like this..."

The Doctor aimed the sonic at the panel on the other side of the narrow bridge and it lit up. Amy yelped in surprise as she was suddenly set free from the artificial gravity. Feeling like he was suddenly on the deck of a pitching sailboat Rory put his arms out to keep his balance. More comfortable in a gravity free environment Amy took the end of the wire from the Doctor and then took Rory's hand.

"Ah, Amy, I don't thin..."

Rory's protest was cut off as Amy pushed off the bridge floor and sent them both up into the air. The Doctor reached out and held onto the edge of the console with one hand to keep himself grounded and fed them the wire with the other. Amy laughed with delight as they rose higher while Rory concentrated on keeping his stomach under control. When they got near the ceiling the Doctor pulled back on the line to slow them down. Amy helped Rory make a somewhat graceful landing on the ceiling where he instantly gripped down on the first solid object he came in contact with.

"Do not like." Rory reported as he held onto the pipe for dear life.

"Relax, Rory." Amy smiled. "We won't fall, we can't. Come on, everyone dreams of flying."

"Not me." Rory said stubbornly.

Amy tied the wire to pipe that Rory was clamped down on. She tugged on his collar until he agreed to let go. He looked down at the floor far below and weld his eyes shut once again. Amy pulled him away from the ceiling so that they could more fully experience the weightlessness. She coaxed him into opening his eyes with a kiss which worked.

"Better?" Amy asked.

"Much."

"Oy!" The Doctor teased from his place on the bridge. "I did not turn off the gravity so that you two could snog!"

"Too bad." Amy smiled and kissed Rory again.

"Okay, not that I'm complaining, but you are definitely acting...off." Rory said.

"I'm just feeling so..." Amy searched for the right word "alive."

"And that's good, but don't you think it's a little strange?"

"Maybe I'm just happy. After all I'm getting to see the world through the eyes of a Time Lord and it's indescribable. It's unlike anything. I can't get enough."

"It sounds like a drug."

"You can't understand, in a lot of way I don't think you ever really have. You'd rather be home than here."

"Of course I woul..."

"Is everything okay up there?" The Doctor called up.

"Everything's fine, Doctor." Amy replied. "We were just coming down."

Amy twisted out of Rory's grip and pushed off the ceiling to send herself back towards the suspended bridge. Rory shouted in alarm fearing that in her anger Amy had given herself way too much momentum. The Doctor snapped to attention as he noticed the exact same thing.

The Doctor jumped up to catch Amy before she crashed into the metal bridge. He managed to slow her down, but their combined momentum still drove them down onto the bridge fairly hard. The Doctor slammed back first into the deck with Amy on his chest. He felt a sharp crack and feared that he may have just broken a rib or two, but by the time he sat up there was no pain. Still weightless they had a little difficulty staying in place sitting on the floor while Rory climbed down the wire to join them.

"Sorry." Amy said sheepishly.

"It's okay." The Doctor replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Amy?!" Rory called from half way down the wire.

"We're fine." Amy replied.

"He's only asking about you, Amy." The Doctor pointed out.

"He's used to you being basically immortal."

"What were you two fighting about?"

"Nothing."

The Doctor was about to try and get a better answer when something caught his eye. Amy was wearing a button down blouse and the top few buttons had been torn free. Without thinking he reached out to open her shirt to get another look at what he thought he'd seen. Amy didn't hesitate to slap away his hand with the speed of a striking cobra.

"Amy..."

"Don't get cheeky on me now, Doctor." Amy warned.

"Amy, I need to see the skin over your heart." The Doctor explained. "Please, show me."

Amy gave the Doctor a confused look for a moment. However she reached up and pulled away just enough of the fabric to expose the left of center of her chest. The look that fell across the Doctor's face made Amy nervous to look down. When she did she gasped at the faint pink marks splashed across her skin. The pattern wasn't nearly as large or prominent as the one over the Doctor's heart, but it was clearly the start of the same marking. Rory finally joined them on the bridge and stared at the scar.

"Oh my God." Rory breathed in horror.

"Amy, when did that get there?" The Doctor asked calmly.

"I...I don't...know."

"Think. This is important, how long?"

"I don't know. Honest."

"Since we all woke up?" The Doctor pressed.

"I don't think so, but maybe, I really don't know." Amy repeated as she stared down at the marks. "I don't remember, but I don't remember a lot of things lately."

Switching the gravity back on the Doctor suddenly lept to his feet and paced back and forth looking like he wanted nothing more than to put his fist through the nearest solid surface. Managing to control himself somewhat he tangled his fingers into his hair and pulled at it before forcing himself to calm. Amy looked to Rory in concern as he knelt down next to her. Despite the Doctor's best efforts he finally lost his temper and tore the glass top off the nearest console and shoved it off the elevated bridge. After a long fall the glass shattered noisily on the floor below, but it had done nothing to sooth the furious Doctor.

"Doct..."

"How can I still be so stupid after all this time?! I watched my kind make this mistake over and over, it's half of the reason why I left, and yet I am guilty of it myself so many times over! Why can't I seem to learn?!" The Doctor snarled at himself. "The Time Lord's greatest fault, and every time I pretend I'm better that that I only makes it worse!"

"Doctor, calm down." Amy said although on the verge of panic herself. "What are you talking about?"

"The one Time Lord trait that stands out above *all* others: arrogance."

"Arrogance? I don't understand."

"I'm so sorry, Amy." The Doctor sighed. "I was so focused on the idea that they were experimenting on me that it never occurred to me that they might have been doing something similar to you."

"What? Why me?"

"I plan to find out, and I'm becoming less and less in the mood to ask nicely."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Doctor?" Amy asked. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Came the muffled response from deep inside the console.

"Nothing, eh?" Amy repeated skeptically. "So...I can let go of your foot now?"

"No."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Nothing." The Doctor growled as he continued to muck with the inner workings of the ship's controls.

"You're being emotional," Amy noted "you know that's never good."

"I am not being emotional!" The Doctor shot back. "Rory, am I being emotional?"

"A bit."

"Shut up."

"Docto..." Amy started.

"Amy, stop bothering me, mack on Rory or something."

"No, no, don't use me as a distraction." Rory said as he put his hands up and took a step back. "But maybe you should just let him work."

"He's not working, he's doing something *stupid*." Amy leaned over the console as she emphasized the last word.

"Oy!" The Doctor protested. "I am not!"

"Doctor, you're not working on the time distortion problem anymore, you're messing around with the ship's weapons system and you're not disabling them. You hate weapons, so by your own definition you're doing something stupid."

The Doctor yanked his foot out of Amy's grip and twisted around in the interior of the console for a second before surfacing. He looked up at Amy expectantly, but she didn't explain herself. Crawling out of the console completely the Doctor joined Rory and Amy back out on the bridge.

"Okay, how do you know that?" The Doctor asked seriously. "How do you know what I'm doing?"

"Because matrix circuit system on this console is set on a anti-feed back loop to protect it during weapon discharge so it must be par..."

"But how do you know that?" The Doctor interrupted.

"I don't know, I just...*know*." Amy replied defensively. "How do you know all the things you know?"

"Because I'm extraordinarily clever, plus I spent a thousand years learning them." The Doctor pointed out. "But suddenly you're not only seeing what I see, but now you're starting to know what I know."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's a very bad thing. The human mind can only handle so much Time Lord knowledge before it, for lack of a better word, 'burns out'."

"Burns out?" Rory asked alarmed.

"Doctor, I'm fine."

"You won't be if this keeps up." The Doctor said as he turned the sonic on Amy in concern. "You are definitely giving off a stronger signature, and running a slight temperature. I should have been more concerned when this started, but it seemed so harmless and I enjoyed the wonder with which you looked around at the world through my eyes, and of course I was able to get a part of myself back at the same time. It was selfish of me, but don't worry."

"How can we not worry?" Rory demanded. "It sounds like it's going to kill her!"

"I've never been better." Amy said confidently.

"No, Amy, it is killing you, but I'm not going to let it." The Doctor said firmly. "I'm going to stop it, I'm going to fix this."

"Remember that arrogance you were talking about?" Amy hissed. "You're doing it again."

"Amy..." The Doctor said in a hurt tone. "I'm just trying to help, promise."

"No!" Amy barked in a sudden flare of temper. "I'm not a little girl any more! I don't need your help, I don't need your protection, and I certainly don't need any more of your promises!"

Amy turned to leave and the Doctor automatically reached out and caught her wrist. Whipping around Amy lashed out with her free hand and slapped the Doctor across the face with all her strength. It was obvious Amy instantly regretted her violent reaction, but not in time to stop herself.

The Doctor remained calm, he released the hold he had on Amy's wrist and put his hands behind his back to prove to her that he wasn't going to grab at her again. Rory's jaw had nearly dropped to the floor and he just stood back frozen in shock. Amy stared at the bright red mark across the Doctor's cheek in disbelief.

"Oh my God..." Amy breathed in horror. "Doctor, I...I..."

"It's okay, Amy."

"No, no it's not." Amy replied as her eyes brightened with tears. "I'm so sorry. I didn't...I would never..."

Tears slipped down Amy's cheeks as she tried to explain what she'd done. Moving slowly to show he wasn't a threat the Doctor offered her his hand to take in a sign of forgiveness. Amy ignored his out stretched hand and stepped in to embrace the Doctor in a warm hug. Wrapping his arms around her he smoothed out her hair while she cried against his chest for a moment.

"Hush, it wasn't your fault."

"What's happening to me?" Amy whimpered.

"Power corrupts." The Doctor replied simply as he stepped back. "Rory, take her back to the TARDIS. I think being close to me is making this worse."

"No...that isn't it." Amy said more to herself than the others. "I did this somehow."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I keep forgetting." Amy shook her head. "I think I'm losing my mind, Doctor."

The Doctor was afraid that was exactly what was happening. Rory came up and put his arm over Amy's shoulders. Amy leaned against him, looking like she was about to pass out.

"Stay with her, Rory."

"What about yo..."

"I'm fine." The Doctor interrupted. "I need to finish this, it will take longer without Amy, but I can do it. Keep her safe."

"Doctor, please don't do anything stupid." Amy pleaded.

"I'll try not to."

"Promise?"

"...promise."


	16. Chapter 16

NOTE: I'm thrilled you guys are still enjoying! Your encouragement keeps me writing! Just so you know I am planing on making a proper novel of this, most likely 30-40 chapter in length. So enjoy the mystery and adventure, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better (in a good way). ;)

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

"Rory, we can't leave the Doctor alone. Go back and stay with him, I'm fine."

"No, you are most certainly not 'fine'."

"Neither is he, and we will never get home without him."

Rory took a breath to argue, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Amy was right on both accounts. Rory looked back over his shoulder at the doors of the TARDIS. Amy hadn't made any protests about returning, but now that they were back it seemed that all she wanted to do was get rid of him. There was an anxious energy about her that had never been there before that was getting worse by the second. When Rory didn't make a decision Amy pushed him back towards the door.

"Go."

"No. I'm sorry, Amy, I can't leave you. You're not well."

"You both treat me like I'm a child." Amy said sourly.

"No, we treat you like we love you." Rory corrected. "You used to see that."

"I still do, I just also see so much more now."

"What does that even mean?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"I'd be angry if I thought it was you talking." Rory sighed. "But I know it isn't. I just hope the Doctor can fix this."

"I don't need to be 'fixed', if anything I was broken before!"

"Amy..."

Rory didn't bother finishing as Amy stormed off. Her emotional lability was getting more intense and he wasn't sure how to deal with it. Not wanting to let her out of his sight Rory chased after her. Amy practically ran towards their room, once there the door slid closed behind her. Rory came up and was surprised to find that it didn't open for him, he hadn't even known that it could be locked.

"Amy, open the door, please."

"I need some time alone!" Amy snapped.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I don't care what you think."

"Amy..."

"Go away!"

"I'm not going anywhere." Rory said firmly.

There was nothing by silence from the other side.

"I waited two thousand years, don't think for a second I won't wait right here."

Once again there was no response.

"Amy? Amy, please..."

"Leave me alone." Amy whimpered from behind the door. "Just leave me alone."

"I'm just trying to help."

"It's too late for that, I can't stop..."

"Stop what?" Rory asked and got no answer. "Amy? ...Amy?"

The metal sliding door had no handle or mechanism to try and force it open so all he could do was wait. Less than five minutes of waiting in the silence felt ten times longer than the previous two thousand years on guard. Rory put his palm against the door and willed it to open but it still didn't budge.

"Amy?" Rory pleaded. "Amy, please, just open the door."

Rory leaned his forehead against the door with a heavy sigh when he still got no response. Looking down Rory furrowed his brow as he swore he caught a brief glimpse of a touch of golden dust escape out from under the door before it vanished. Rory's blood turned to ice in horror at the sight and he pounded his fist against the door.

"Amy! Amy!"

Backing up as far as he could Rory ran at the door to throw his shoulder into it. He slammed into the sturdy metal door to no effect. Despite the pain the first blow had caused his shoulder he backed up to try again. Just as he reached the door it suddenly slid open and he fell into the room and to the floor. Amy was standing the side of the door, having just released the magnetic lock. She looked down at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Rory?" Amy asked as she looked down at the tangled heap of her husband. "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What are you doing?"

"I think I was sleeping." Amy rubbed at her temple. "What are you fussing about?"

"Sleeping?" Rory repeated confused.

"Or trying to, I think, I've got a bit of a headache. I had the weirdest dream. I was angry at the Doctor for some reason and gave him such a whack. I swear my palm hurts the dream was that vivid."

"Amy," Rory said with concern as he got to his feet "that...that wasn't a dream. That happened less than an hour ago."

"What?" Amy asked in shock before shaking her head in denial. "No. No, I would never strike him."

"You did, but it's okay."

"How can it be 'okay'? Where is he?" Amy fretted as she looked around. "Where's the Doctor?"

"He's still on the bridge, he's..."

"Taking over control of the weapons system." Amy finished as she reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose in pain. "I remember that now...damn this pounding in my head."

"You need to lay down."

"No," Amy shook her head "I need to help him."

"Amy, there is nothing you can do."

"Yes, there is. I know how now."

"Amy..."

Rory rolled his eyes in frustration as Amy ran off down the corridor towards the main chamber. He expected to have to chase her all the way back through the ship to the Doctor, however when they got to the main chamber Amy went down under the TARDIS console dais. Amy didn't hesitate to crawl up into the cords and wires that hung down from the underside of the console.

"Amy, what are you doing?" Rory asked in horror. "Get out of there."

"The Doctor finished the adjustments to the ship, but it is still going to take the TARDIS to jumpstart the Haldon Flux. I need to reroute the Ringlor matrix sub..."

"Oh, no, stop that, stop talking like that, and stop fiddling around with the TARDIS. Amy, I mean it. This is the worst idea in the history of bad ideas!"

"I can do it."

Amy disconnected something that snapped at her in a shower of colorful sparks. Rory yelped, but Amy seemed to have been expecting it and simply reconnected it elsewhere. As she rerouted something else Rory noticed that the usual aqua lights of the TARDIS started to intensify and then suddenly flashed red for a moment. The hair on the back of Rory's neck stood on end as the energy level in the air rose dramatically.

"Amy, I really, really don't think you should be doing that." Rory warned as the lights flickered red again. "I...uh...I don't think the TARDIS likes you mucking with it."

"She's just being a little petulant because I'm not 'Daddy', but I know what I'm doing." Amy said confidently as she yanked a panel free. "Trust me, I can do this."

"Even if you can, let's just wait for the Doctor."

"He is going to need me to do this anyway, either by me or through me. It takes a Time Lord's touch."

"You're not a Time Lord!" Rory exclaimed in frustration.

"No," Amy smiled as she tapped on one of the convert tubes and made it glow "but I've got the touch."

Worried that Amy was going to blow them, and possibly all of Time and Space, to pieces Rory tried to work his way into the jungle of hanging tubes to physically remove Amy. Moving around in the TARDIS workings like a rabbit in a brier patch Amy continued to work and elude Rory at the same time.

"Rory you are going to get yourself hurt." Amy noted. "I just have a few more connection and I'm done."

"Fine."

Throwing his hands in the air in defeat Rory fought his way back out and sat on the edge of the funnel like floor under the dais. Amy thanked him and continued with her work. Now instead of flickering red the TARDIS interior lights took on a solid blood red hue that twisted Rory's stomach.

"Amy, you do see the lights, right?"

Completely unconcerned Amy crawled higher up into the wires with a cable over her shoulder until she came to a junction box. She pulled one of the thicker cables out and went to replace it with the one she'd brought with her. As she tried to place the new cable a powerful arc of electricity struck out at her. Instantly knocked senseless by the powerful shock Amy fell from her perch and ended up suspended in the tangles of cables.

"Amy!"

Rory scrambled to his feet and slid down the slopped floor to get to Amy. Untangling her from the cables he brought her up onto the level main floor. He checked for any signs of breath and found she wasn't breathing. Pressing his fingers against her throat he couldn't find a pulse either. Even though he knew the odds of CPR working on a heart badly damaged by electricity were bleak he laced his fingers together to start chest compressions.

Trying to stay focused on the task Rory fell back on his training as he kept the fast paced rhythm to mechanically pump Amy's heart. When he reached thirty compressions Rory switched to lean in for two rescue breaths before checking for life signs again. Rory finally allowed tears to slip down his face when he found a weak pulse.

Still not breathing on her own Rory leaned in again to give Amy another breath. He rubbed a circular pattern on the center of her chest to try and further stimulate her into breathing on her own. During his sixth breath to her Amy suddenly coughed up what Rory feared was blood. With his lips sealed against hers when she had tried to breath on her own there had been a thick warm backwash.

Horrified Rory pulled away expecting to find her airways filling with blood. However not only was there no blood, but Amy seemed to have instantly stabilized. She was still unconscious, but breathing easily. Rory had one hand on her chest already and he could now feel her heart beating strong underneath it.

Suddenly aware that he'd been holding his breath Rory release it and a golden cloud of dust swirled out from his lips in front of him before disappearing.


	17. Chapter 17

NOTE: I've always been an angst writer by trade/reputation, but the heavy chapters like this are always the most difficult to write. I must enjoy a challenge. :) Hopefully you will as well. The Doctor's not going to want to play with me any more after this story, of course that can be said for just about any character I've ever played with. I tend to break my toys. However I do try to keep everything plot/character driven. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

"I'm forgetting something..."

The Doctor leaned against the edge of the console and stared down into the components. Scratching the back of his head with the sonic he tried to figure out what was wrong or missing. He scanned the interior with the sonic and read the results. He knit his brow in concern when he realized that he was having trouble understanding what the readings meant. Feeling out of sorts the Doctor yawned and rubbed at his tired eyes.

"Sleep, I'm forgetting that I need sleep." The Doctor muttered to himself. "Probably something ridiculously wastefully like seven or eight hours worth...how am I ever going to get anything done ever again?"

Looking around the bridge the Doctor did not find the cold metal floor particularly inviting despite how tired he was. When his stomach also started to rumble he bowed his head in frustrated defeat for a moment. Giving up on the bridge console he sought out the shoe he'd taken off earlier and put it back on. Rather than walking down the long flight of stairs the Doctor used the sonic to reduce the gravity and casually jumped off the edge. Falling slowly he landed lightly on his feet among the shards of glass from the console top that he had tossed from the bridge in his previous rage.

Ignoring the glass crunching under his shoes the Doctor headed towards the archways on the far side of the large open room. Before he left the main hall he looked over his shoulder at the view of Gallifrey that still took up most of the enormous front window. It was comforting to know that there was at least some place in the past where it still existed out side the destruction of the Time-lock, even if it was so far back that even the fish hadn't evolved to venture out onto the lands yet.

The Doctor found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the view until his stomach angrily reminded him that they were on a mission. Shaking his head sadly he turned his back on his world once more and went in search of one of the kitchens. Finding one of the abandoned dinning areas the Doctor walked up to the synthesizer and tapped on it to wake it up.

"Selection?" The computer asked.

"I need something sweet."

"Specify." The machine demanded.

"I don't care, just sugar, syrup or honey of some sort."

"Specify." The machine repeated.

"Retched device." The Doctor growled. "I found something on the ship earlier, it was green, Amy said it was cherry flavoured."

The synthesizer seemed to understand the order and produced a large glass of bright green liquid. The Doctor picked up the glass and felt something tugging at the edge of his memory, but he couldn't quite pin it down. Hesitantly trying the oddly colored honey thick drink at first the Doctor quickly drained the glass once he got a taste of it.

"I don't know what that is, but I like it. I'll have another."

The shockingly sweet drink managed to calm his hunger before it got out of control like the last time. The Doctor seriously considered ordering a third glass, but he had a feeling that it would probably make him sick so he just washed it down with what the machine passed off as 'tea'.

With the gnawing hunger taken care of the Doctor found his need to find a place to lay down amplified. He wanted to go back to the TARDIS, but he worried about what it would do to Amy if he did. Afraid that he was increasing the rate at which she was gaining her new and dangerous knowledge the Doctor sought out somewhere to be alone.

Too tired to travel very far in the vast ship the Doctor went to one of the alcoves that punctuated the halls that ran along the exterior of the ship. The windowed alcoves had padded benches set into them for resting on and looking out on the vastness of space beyond. It didn't take him long to find one of the peaceful spots. On the far side of the ship the window offered a view of the stars and not Gallifrey. Although he was too tall to be able to stretch out in the space the Doctor managed to find comfort curled up on his side with his back against the thick glass.

Despite being physically exhausted the Doctor found he couldn't close his eyes. Even with his back against a solid surface he didn't feel safe enough to allow himself to just lapse into unconsciousness. The ship was devoid of active life, but it was far from silent. Various life support systems, automated mechanics, settling metal, releasing steam, beeping alarms, and the hum of the engine made for a constant source of noise that kept tricking the Doctor's newly human adrenal system into thinking that a threat was approaching.

"After the terrible wars you have fought, the monsters you've seen, the impossible odds faced, you are not going to fear noises in the night like a child." The Doctor demanded of himself.

Curling up tighter the Doctor pressed his back harder into the cool glass and forced himself to close his eyes. Determined to just ignore the new weaknesses that came along with his single heart the Doctor managed to slow his breathing. Beginning to truly relax the Doctor started to slip into sleep. A familiar heat on his chest warned him that the pattern etched there was coming to life again, but it was too late to even try to stop it as he was already passing into the dream world anyway.

"Drink this," Jackles said gently "it will help."

Barely conscious the Doctor let most of his weight hang through his still pinned wrists. He felt Jackles press the edge of a cold glass against his lip and did his best to try and turn away. The Doctor had no intention of swallowing anything offered to him no matter Jackles intentions. However being too weak to avoid having the first taste of the sweet syrup forced past his teeth the Doctor suddenly found himself drinking the rest with a greedy thirst. He didn't know what it was, but it not only tasted fantastic but also instantly helped him feel stronger. When Jackles pulled the glass away the Doctor licked the amazing green syrup from his lips.

"I thought you'd like that." Jackles smiled. "You're going to crave sugar while you recover, this is nectar concentrate from my homeworld."

The Doctor used some of his recovering strength to open his eyes and look up at Jackles questioningly. He was only able to give Jackles a moment's worth of his attention before a nauseating dizziness overwhelmed him.

"You heard me right, Doctor, you have an amazingly strong will to live." Jackles confirmed. "You're going to recover just fine."

Not so sure of that fact the Doctor fought for each breath as what little strength he'd found started to quickly fail him. The last thing he remembered was Jackles wishing him luck right before an unseen forced violently tore his consciousness away from him. Not feeling quite connected with his body the Doctor experimented with opening and closing his hands into fists, but he couldn't tell if he was succeeding or not.

Unable to keep his eyes focused or under control they wandered aimlessly as the Doctor tried to keep his thoughts from reeling. The dizziness was slowly receding, but it was being replaced by a painful pounding in his head. Jackles didn't seem to notice how much his patient was struggling. He reached out and put his hand on the Doctor's cheek affectionately.

"You made it through, Time Lord, more than that the procedure worked!" Jackles said with obvious excitement. "You've provided my people with what we so desperately need to survive, our children will finally know what it is to grow up. We will treat and care for you during your recovery. You're a hero."

Fighting to keep his wandering eyes open the Doctor could only shake his head to disagree with Jackles last statement.

"Don't be modest, Doctor. You've given us so much."

"Th...thi...thief." The Doctor panted.

Jackles was silent for a moment. He still had his hand on the Doctor's face and used it to help stabilize his head. The Doctor's eyes rolled back to white as tears slipped down his cheeks. Unable to even keep his own vision under control the fear of surviving but never being who he once was seized the Doctor's thoughts. He kept thinking each breath might be his last, but with every one he could feel the next come easier. It was maddening to have the release of death so close but clearly out of his reach.

"I suppose you're right, you didn't give us anything, we just took it. But I won't apologize for that." Jackles said firmly. "I am sorry that it came at such a cost to yourself, for the pain you suffered I deeply apologize, but in time you will heal."

Jackles words filled the Doctor with a sudden rage, as if his captor could even begin to understand the damage he'd done. Brought back to his senses by the insult the Doctor found the strength to battle against his restraints. Unable to free himself the Doctor narrowed his eyes at Jackles and curled his lip at him in disgust. His hearts had barely been working before but now he could feel them pounding.

"I can see that you do not accept my apology."

"You dare ask for forgiveness when you never bothered seeking permission?"

"There was no purpose in asking permission. You would not have given it."

"That's not the point!"

"This wasn't easy for me either...listening to you scream." Jackles said defensively. "I could have monitored these experiments from another room, from a place where I didn't have to hear the pain I was causing, but I didn't. I stayed with you so that you didn't have to be alone."

"How noble of you." The Doctor snarled.

"Docto..."

"No, no more, I can't hear any more. You have what you need, now let me go, just let me go."

"We will."

"No, right now, this instant!" The Doctor demanded as he yanked at the restraints with enough force to break bone and draw blood. "Release me!"

"I...I don't have that authority." Jackles stuttered in fright.

"Then get me someone who does..._**NOW!**_"

Jackles backed away from the Doctor in sudden fear. With his chest heaving from the effort he'd put into his short fight for freedom the Doctor was forced to stop. The blood that dripped from his broken wrists quickly turned to a softly glowing gold and healed both skin and bone. Exhausted once again the Doctor bowed his head and let his weight hang from his newly healed wrists.

Jackles stood frozen in place for a moment before disappearing from the room. The Doctor took the time alone to try and collect his thoughts. He couldn't quite remember how all of this had begun, he felt like he was forgetting something important, but whatever it was stayed just out of his grasp. Unable to concentrate the Doctor stopped trying.

It seemed like days before the Doctor heard someone returning. The leader woman from before stepped in front of the Doctor and studied him for a moment. With his chin resting against his chest the only thing the Doctor could see was the flowing semi transparent blue and silver layered skirt of her dress, but he knew who she was even just from the sound her heels made against the metal floor.

She gently slipped her delicate hand under his jaw and guided his head up to look at her. She had the countenance of a long reining Queen and despite her youthful face the Doctor knew a set of ancient eyes when he saw them. It would not surprise him if he learned that she was his own age or possibly older. He had hoped to find some empathy in her eyes, but her expression was only one of cold triumph.

"I can't help but notice that you did not kill us all as you promised. You Time Lords are not the Gods you pretend to be."

"Let me go." The Doctor said simply.

"You're in no position to be making demands, Doctor."

"You have everything you need from me."

"True. However, I do not have everything I _want_ from you."

"I have nothing left to give."

"We both know that's a lie, not even a particularly clever one..."


	18. Chapter 18

Note: Yup, this story will be the death of me...should be sleeping, can't stop writing. I haven't had a story come so easily to me a long time! However due to the late hour and sleepiness it made the last page of this chapter really hard to write. Enjoy anyway!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

The Doctor jolted awake with a sharp gasp. Still laying on his side he was curled up to the point where his every muscle was pulled painfully tight. Knowing that his dreams were important he concentrated on holding on to the chaotic images, but all he could recall from this one was the rage he'd felt. Breathing heavily he growled in frustration at not being able to remember any true details.

"You're safe, I'm here."

Amy's worried voice startled the Doctor and it took him a second to realize that he was actually using her lap as a pillow, she was sitting on the bench with her back against the glass. Somewhat confused he rolled over on his back and looked up at her. Amy looked down at the Doctor, she brushed his wild hair out of his face and smiled warmly.

"Good morning, Doctor." Amy greeted as if nothing was wrong.

"Morning already?"

"No idea actually. It's always kinda twilight on this ship."

"Some sort of auto safety has shutdown most of the power."

"Ah."

The Doctor waited for Amy to give him an explanation as to why she was with him and not back in the TARDIS with Rory like he'd asked. Amy clearly knew what he was expecting but she just avoided the subject by looking over her shoulder out the glass window at the myriad of stars beyond. The Doctor gave her a few minutes of peace only because he was enjoying the company himself.

"Amy, what are you doing here?" The Doctor asked gently.

"I was worried about you."

"How did you find me?"

"I just kind of knew where you were. That's kinda weird, isn't it?"

"Yes and no." The Doctor shrugged. "How's Rory?"

"We had a fight." Amy admitted.

"What about?"

"Nothing important, which is what upsets me the most. When I'm acting out I can't stop myself, and I look back and I can't believe what I've done. I'm scared, Doctor."

"Everything is going to be alright."

"You can say 'promise'," Amy smiled "I won't hit you this time."

The Doctor chuckled. He reached up and ran his hand through Amy's bright red hair. He thought he saw a slight trace of gold glint in her hair when touched, but it disappeared before he could be sure. Bring his hand back down he laid it on his chest and was painfully reminded of the single heart beating in his chest. Moving his hand so he didn't have to feel his heartbeat the Doctor became lost in dark thoughts for a while. Amy brought him back to the present by playing with his hair once more and tucking it behind his ear.

"Can I tell you a secret, Amy?"

"You can tell me anything." Amy assured.

"I don't like this, this being human, or mostly human or whatever I am right now. I mean no offense, on you and Rory it works, but for me...I'm no good at it."

"You're doing just fine, Doctor." Amy leaned down and kissed the Doctor's forehead.

"You're too kind, Amy."

"I know." Amy chuckled.

"But, seriously, I should have everything all sorted out already. I should have everything fixed, and here I can't even remember what happened to us." The Doctor continued. "Even now I should be on my feet making things right, but I want to do is close my eyes and just sleep."

"Sleep is a good idea, I think with some rest you'll feel better. These spells you've been having aren't the same as sleep. I found you here breathing like you'd been running a marathon, and you were so tense I could barely move you. You can't keep this up."

"You're right." The Doctor sighed. "I'll do what I can to get some proper sleep, but you shouldn't stay with me. I don't want to make you worse, I can feel how warm you are already."

"It's not you." Amy replied. "In fact I think it might be the TARDIS."

"What?"

Amy retold the Doctor about going back to the TARDIS and how she had started having trouble separating reality and dreams. She explained about how she had suddenly found herself knowing exactly how to rewire the TARDIS, but she left out the part where it nearly killed her knowing the Doctor worried about her enough. The Doctor listened to her intently with an expression of concern.

"How are you feeling now?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm okay." Amy said unconvincingly.

"Where is Rory?"

"He's sleeping. It's been a long day for him too."

"Does he know you're here?"

"No. I slipped out, but I have my phone. He'll call when he wakes."

Still not convinced that he wasn't contributing to Amy's progressive slid towards inevitable burn out the Doctor went to sit up to go back to work. Amy put her hand on his chest and easily kept him down. He looked up at her and took a breath to protest but she just shook her head.

"Sleep," Amy ordered "I'll protect you."

"That's my line, Pond." The Doctor smiled before stifling a yawn.

"You'll be no good to anyone if you run yourself into the ground, Raggedy Man."

The Doctor smiled at the old nickname. Of all the names given to him over the centuries he always felt that one fit him best, more than he wanted to admit at times. Amy gently covered his eyes with her hand to encourage him to close them. He humoured her and discovered that even when she took her hand away he was far too tired to open them again. Placing her hand on his chest Amy noticed that his breathing almost instantly slowed as he fell asleep.

With the Doctor sleeping Amy looked around the poorly lit alien corridor and shivered slightly. She had done her best to hide the pounding in her head while the Doctor was awake, but now that he was sleeping she reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose and whimpered in pain. The migraine had been getting steadily worse since she'd last left the TARDIS.

Amy was quickly distracted from her own problems when the Doctor's peaceful breathing turned to a fast laboured pace. Fretting over the fact that his dreams had turned to nightmares so quickly Amy did her best to calm him without actually waking him. Despite her gentle touch the Doctor convulsed in his sleep as the buried memories tore at him.

"I don't know what to do." Amy whispered. "I don't know how to help."

Feeling helpless only added to the stress of her headache which was starting to progress into a general body ache. Becoming increasingly uncomfortable Amy began itching at her skin. Trying not to disturb the Doctor even though his sleep was restless Amy leaned down awkwardly while also raising her knee up slightly so that she could scratch at her calf.

Wearing a pair of large high leather boots Amy reached down inside to claw at the tingling skin. When her hand came across cold metal she furrowed her brow. Grabbing a hold of the dagger hilt she pulled it from its hiding spot inside the top of the knee high leather boot. Leaning back she held up the shiny blade and stared at it.

"How could I have forgotten?"

Instinctively knowing what to do with the blade Amy pressed it into her left palm until a pool of blood formed. The blade jumped to life and began to glow brightly. As the blood and gold mixed and repaired the wound the rest of the pain in her mind ebbed away as well. Amy leaned her head back against the glass and took a deep breath before releasing a small cloud of gold.

"Much better." Amy muttered.

Closing her eyes for what she felt was just a second Amy jerked as she felt herself falling backwards. With the glass window at her back she realized that the sensation must have just been that feeling that happens sometimes when you almost fall asleep. She looked at her hands and for a second she thought she should be holding something, something important. However her hands were empty. What wasn't empty was her mind. Looking down at the Doctor she suddenly knew how she could help him.

Still fighting an unseen foe in his sleep the Doctor twitched and panted for breath. Amy reached down and gently placed her fingertips on either side of the Doctor's temples. Taking a deep breath she willed him to do the same. It took her a few tries but soon she had him breathing in exact rhythm with her own breath.

Exhilarated by the success Amy deepened the connection to help relax his muscles as well. She watched in fascination as the Doctor became increasingly peaceful under her command. Seeing that she'd been able to help Amy smile and although still asleep the Doctor smiled as well in a perfect mimic of her own expression. Frightened that she had that much control Amy pulled back a little.

The flash of fear transferred to the Doctor and brought him close to waking. Trying to keep him asleep Amy poured more concentration into calming him once more. Settling in the Doctor turned his head to the side and briefly broke part of their physical contact. Amy felt the link shatter and tried to reestablish it, but it was too late the Doctor fluttered his eyes open and looked up at her.

"Amy?" The Doctor asked sleepily. "What are you doing?"

"Just relax, go back to sleep."

The Doctor hesitated for a moment before nodding and closing his eyes. When she felt it was safe again Amy rested her hands on his temples once again. For a moment Amy could feel the heartbreaking loneliness that drove the Doctor to keep seeking out human companions even when it never seemed to end well. Amy had just wanted him to be able to get some proper rest, but having brushed his subconscious made it difficult to resist the temptation to see what other secrets it held. Amy's hesitation to invade his privacy transferred just as the fear had and this time when it woke the Doctor he was more aware that something was wrong.

"Amy?"

"I'm sorry, I won't do that again."

"Do what? Wait...stop." The Doctor protested weakly as he figured out what was happening. "No..."

"It's okay, I'm just keeping you from having nightmares."

"You can't..." The Doctor tried to sit up but his body simply wouldn't respond. "Psychic connections are dangerous."

"Only if you fight them."

"I don't want this..."

"You need it."

"Amy..."

"Trust me."

Determined to put the Doctor back under Amy pressed her fingertips against his temples harder. She found herself breathing heavily at first as his panic lanced up her arms. Closing her eyes Amy concentrated on taking control of their link. The Doctor wasn't able to offer much resistance, but he did his best to stay awake. Suddenly relaxing the Doctor passed out. It wasn't exactly the peaceful slip into sleep that Amy had been hoping for, but the results were the same.

"It's for your own good, Doct..."

Amy stopped when she noticed that the Doctor's chest was starting to glow. Terrified she just stared at the light as it intensified. She still had her her hands against the Doctor's skin and her emotions were open to him. Arching his back he woke with a heart rendering cry. The Doctor slammed his palm against the window and the same spiral pattern that burned in his chest suddenly etched itself into the glass, radiating out like ice crystals forming on a cold winter morning.

"Stop!" The Doctor cried. "Amy, let go!"

"I...I can't! I can't move!"

"Amy!"

"Doctor!"


	19. Chapter 19

NOTE: Well...this chapter totally got away from me. That happens some times. As a result this whole experience will take two chapters rather than the one that it was going to take up. I was touched by how well everyone responded to the last chapter with Amy and the Doctor, hugs to anyone all who chat with me and ask for more, it's because of you that I spent most of today working on this!

On a personal note my thoughts go out to anyone in the Boston area. It gets harder everyday to stay safe in this world it seems.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

Suddenly finding herself standing in another room facing an array of glass topped consoles that blinked and flashed a rainbow of colors at her Amy wasn't sure if she dare move, or even breath. She couldn't tell if she'd only been moved in space or if she'd also been taken somewhere in time as well. A low moan of delusional pain startled Amy causing her to whip around with her hands held up ready for a fight.

"Doctor!" Amy gasped in horror as she rushed over.

Pinned to the awkward upright table the Doctor did not respond to Amy's voice. With his head bowed he alternated between weakly fighting with his bound wrists and using them to support his weight. His feet touched the floor, but he lacked the strength to stay standing for more than a few seconds at a time. When his legs failed him he had no way to fall, the strain was simply transferred to his wrists. The suspended position quickly become too painful and the Doctor would rally his strength to push through his feet once more. To Amy it looked like the constant switching between pressure points was the only thing keeping the Doctor on the edge of consciousness.

"Doctor? It's Amy...Doctor?"

When she still got no response Amy reached out with a shaky hand and slipped it under his jaw. He instantly brought his head up and looked at her with all traces of pain and weariness erased from his eyes. Amy was surprised how quickly he had gone from looking seconds away from death to looking ready to bound off to the next adventure.

"Doctor?"

"Amy, ho.."

The Doctor stopped midsentance when Amy took her hand from his cheek. His eyes instantly lost their focus and his chin fell to his chest once more. Panicking Amy pressed her hand against his chest. The Doctor snapped his head up like a rag-doll being brought to life, he looked at Amy with paternal concern.

"...w are you feeling?" The Doctor finished his question without missing a beat.

"Oookay." Amy said slowly, more in confusion than an answer. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm g..."

Amy took her hand off the Doctor's chest as an experiment. Like before he returned to his exhausted tormented state instantly. Unable to keep his head up he went back to the agonizing decision between what caused him more discomfort: having to stand or hanging from the tight ion cuffs at his wrists. Amy stood frozen as the Doctor closed his eyes and tears slipped down his face. With her own eyes stinging with tears Amy put both her hands on his chest and stepped in closer to press her body against his, having figured out the pattern. With their physical contact established the Doctor was brought back onto the present.

"...ood." The Doctor finished. He took note of how close Amy suddenly was and furrowed his brow. "Although I'm a little confused as to what's going on."

"I think we're stuck in a dream together."

"Right...um..." The Doctor said uncomfortably as he tugged at the wrist bindings and raised a disapproving eyebrow. "Amy, I think we need to have a little chat about your dreams. I don't think Rory would approve of any of this, and I'm not sure I do eith..."

"This isn't my dream!" Amy snapped. "It's yours."

"Mine?"

"Or rather your memory. When I let go of you, you go back into it like I'm not even here." Amy explained. "Look around, don't you recognize this? I'm fairly certain it's that lab you destroyed before you destroyed it."

Amy made sure to keep her hands on the Doctor's chest, but she backed up so that he could look around. Rather than look at his environment he kept his slate blue eyes locked on Amy's. At first she didn't understand, but when she felt his twin hearts begin to pound the source of his hesitation became clear. He wasn't remembering because he didn't want to, because he didn't dare. Amy forced a brave smile in hopes that it would help. The Doctor smiled as well and finally looked around. The instant he did so Amy could feel him begin to tremble.

Looking like he was going to be sick the Doctor weld his eyes shut and concentrated on breathing deeply. Keeping one hand on his chest Amy carded her other hand into his hair to try and calm him as he started dry heaving. As the seconds ticked by his condition deteriorated rather than improved. Gasping for breath the Doctor fought fiercely against the ion energy that kept him captive as the claustrophobia closed in on him. Unable to gain his freedom he cried out as the memories threatened his sanity.

Desperate to ease the Doctor's anxiety driven fear Amy leaned against him again. The contact worked surprising well and she could feel him beginning to work on pulling himself together once more. Forcing himself to calm the Doctor took a few deep breaths. Resting his head against her shoulder he was slowly able to quell his rebelling stomach and reduce the shivering. Amy waited patiently while the Doctor adjusted to the flood of memories and used his centuries worth of experience to cope with the new burden.

"Doctor?" Amy asked gently after a few calm minutes. "Are you still with me?"

"I am, just a bit of a shock. I can see why I don't want to remember any of this."

"Who are these people?"

"Jackles..." The Doctor whispered as he brought his head off her shoulder. "He has what he wants...but it's not over...someone else is coming. But I can't remember what happens next..."

"Doctor?" Amy asked when he didn't continue.

"I can remember everything that's been done to me up to this point, we came to this ship by mistake. I've been getting worse a landing the TARDIS lately, I don't know why. I was trying to take you and Rory to a Crystal Festival...oh Amy, it's such a beautiful world, the colors are so amazing they take your breath away and bring tears to your eyes. You would have loved it." The Doctor rambled as he gazed vacantly at nothing. "It's all I've ever wanted to show you, that the Universe is an amazing place so full of wonder, and majesty, and beauty, and magic, not this dark, violent, dange..."

"Doctor, please, I really need you to focus."

"Right, focus, not my strong point at the moment...or ever really, too many thoughts at once..."

"You're doing it again." Amy said softly.

"Right." The Doctor nodded and looked around the lab again. "Something's off, nothing in the room is moving."

"Uh...there's nothing in here to move."

"The lights on the console aren't blinking and they should, red lights 112 through 1268 keep time with my right heart, red 1389 through 2187 with my left, blue strips 2601 and 3231 rise and fall with my breathing, green 7121 through 9368 are in sync with my various eye movements, yellow 4697 to 6098 tracks blood pressure, capillary stress, adrenal output... There is a fan behind that grate that should be spinning at 358.42 revolutions per second. That dial on the far left should tick every 2.71 seconds, the one three over to the right spins anti-clockwise one full revolution ever 38.851 seconds. Once every nine minutes and 59.9592 seconds a chime goes off, I don't know why... I can go on, but the point is all of them are stopped."

"How...how can you know all that?" Amy asked looking over her shoulder at the complicated console.

"I've been in this room for a very long time with nothing else to distract me from the pai..." The Doctor stopped himself before finishing. "I've had time to study it."

"H...how do I get you out of here?" Amy asked as her eyes brightened with tears again. "If I could get you down you could rest, you could get some proper sleep this time."

"No." The Doctor shook his head. "Amy, my point is that when you touched me, you didn't just make a connection between us, you literally froze time on my memory. We have an amazing opportunity here."

"I don't understand."

"I've been having these flash backs for a reason, some part of me has been trying to remember to help us. But for whatever reason when I wake up from these spells the memories are gone again."

"Yeah, it's called Post Traumatic Stress, you block it all out. Your conscious mind doesn't want to know what sick tortures they've been putting you through."

"Experiments." The Doctor corrected.

"Whatever!"

"Although I think the memory block is more complicated than just stress." The Doctor mused. "Anyway...they have what they want now."

"Which is?"

"I don't know exactly, Jackles wasn't clear, something about their children not growing up. But that doesn't matter right now. I have a feeling that whatever happens next is what leads to us waking up in the state we found ourselves in. We need to know what that is."

"How do we do that?"

The Doctor looked down at where Amy had her hand on his chest and then look back up at her with a guilty expression. Amy felt her blood run cold.

"Amy..."

"Oh my God..." Amy breathed in horror. "You want me to watch."

"I'm sorry, Amy, I am *so* sorry. But whoever comes to me next does something to me that not only allows or perhaps forces me to pull an entire ship five billion years into the past and thousands of lightyears to my homeworld, but also takes one of my hearts."

"Doctor..."

"How many heartbeats do you feel, how many right now?" The Doctor interrupted.

Amy looked down at where her hand was against the Doctor's even though she already knew the answer. She was starting to shake at the thought of what the Doctor was asking her to do. Her stomach was already twisted from the memories of listing to him scream during his previous spells. She looked up at the sinister looking device that was suspended from the ceiling above them and her imagination started to take over.

"Amy?" The Doctor drew her attention back. "How many?"

"Two." Amy whispered.

"So I'm still a Time Lord, but not for much longer. Someone cuts my hearts out and turns me human...ish. I need to know how and why they did that if I'm going to have any chance at reversing it and getting us all home."

"No, Doctor, no...I...I can't stand by and watch them tear your hearts out. Please don't ask me to." Amy whimpered. "You can't ask me to do this."

"Amy..."

"Doctor, I don't think you understand." Amy interrupted as her eyes stung with tears. "It has been hard, *so* hard just listening to you cry out during these spells, at least then I can touch you, try and calm you...but now you want me to watch it happen and do nothing? I can't...I really can't..."

"I survive this, you know that, you've seen that. This is all in the past." The Doctor assured with an encouraging smile. "Whatever happens next, you know I make it back to you. I don't even have to promise because I've already done it, this is just a dream. You can do this, I know you can."

Amy shook her head stubbornly as tears traced down her face.

"Amy, please...be brave for me."

Amy buried her face against the Doctor's chest as she finally broke down into a bitter weeping. Sighing heavily the Doctor rested his head on hers and did his best to comfort her with his hands still tethered. Amy gripped his shirt tightly as she continued to cry. It was more than not being able to find the courage to do as he was asking that had lead to her break down, but at the moment it was the one last stress that she simply couldn't take.

"I'm sorry. Amy, never mind." The Doctor said gently. "Stay with me, help me rest, you will do us both more good that way. We will wake eventually and it would be nice if I wasn't exhausted when that happens. I'll find another way to solve all of this once we do."

Amy managed to get control of her breathing but her tears continued to soak into the Doctor's shirt. Unwilling to pull away she just rested against him and listened to the four beat rhythm of his hearts. Far from being angry at her the Doctor nuzzled the top of her head affectionately.

"Forgive me, Pond, I was being unfair. Of all the trials I've ever been through myself these are the ones I have always failed." The Doctor admitted quietly. "The ones that involve standing by and doing nothing...I'm not supposed to interfere, but I always do. Even when it's not for the best, even when it ends in blood. I always have to at least *try* to help, even when I know that I can't. It wasn't fair of me to ask you to do something that I'm incapable of myself...again, selfish of me. Forgive a raggedy old man for desperately tying to regain what he's lost without thinking about the cost to you."

Amy closed her eyes and let the last of her tears get caught in her thick lashes. Taking a deep breath she pushed herself away from the Doctor until her only contact with him was her palm against his chest. He looked at her questioningly, but she didn't notice, all of her attention was focused on her hand. Swallowing hard she worked on gathering the courage to take her hand away.

"Amy? What are you doing?"

"If 'nothing' is all I have to do to help you get your soul back I need to at least try."


	20. Chapter 20

Note: I had waaaay too much fun writing this chapter, I hope you have just as much fun reading it.

The start in italics is a flash back to the end of a previous chapter, if it look a little different to you that's because you pounced on that chapter as soon as I uploaded it and before I went back and made a little tweak to it. This is how it looks now if you go back. If it doesn't look different to you...you're not missing anything.

Enjoy!

PS- Amy is present, but since this is all from the Doctor's perspective he's not aware of that.

* * *

Chapter Twenty

_"You have everything you need from me."_

_"True. However, I do not have everything I **want** from you."_

_"I have nothing left to give."_

_"We both know that's a lie...not even a particularly clever one."_

The woman had not stayed long after her accusation. Reaching out she had run her fingers into the exhausted Time Lord's sweat drenched hair and stared at him for a moment with a predatory eye before turning and walking out. Furious the Doctor had spent far too much energy afterward fighting against the ion cuffs and yelling demands at the empty room that she return and explain what she wanted.

Hours later the Doctor was far more concerned with finding a position that allowed him to rest without causing too much pain. Pulling on his wrists strained his shoulders but allowed his burning thighs a chance to rest. Eventually he would begin to tremble with the effort it took to hold himself up. At that point now he shifted his weight to his feet once more. As he did so his shoes slipped on the metal floor and his legs suddenly gave out from under him. The Doctor cried out sharply as the jolt angered his already aching shoulders.

After taking a moment to recover the Doctor tried once more to gather his feet under himself. Even with the support of the table at his back he kept slipping due to the combination of the devastating weakness and the awkward slight backward angle that he was kept at. Each time he tried and failed the Doctor only made his situation worse as the joints his shoulders and wrists began to tear.

Eventually no matter how loud in his mind he ordered his body move his muscles simply would not respond, leaving him with no way to fight gravity's determination to slowly separate his shoulders. Unable to find peace in unconsciousness the Doctor tried to focus on slowing the beating of his hearts, but he found he was helpless to do anything about that either. As the aching in his joints turned to a maddening fire he forced one foot back against the base of the table and fought to stand. Slipping once again he gave in and relaxed against the restraints as a quiet moan of defeat hiss across his teeth.

"That's the sound I've been waiting to hear," a cold familiar voice purred from the shadows. "not just one of pain, or rage, or even fear, but one of utter despair. I have waited countless years to hear that pathetic moan from the laboured breath of a truly broken Time Lord."

"Is...that..." The Doctor had to paused to regain his breath. "...all the more you...wanted of me?"

"No, but I deserve something for all my suffering, and the dead deserve justice. Consider yourself lucky, I could have sentenced you to a much worse fate. Leaving you here to suffer needlessly for a few hours was a punishment well beneath your crime."

"Crime?"

"You're a Time Lord."

"Tha...that's not a crime." The Doctor protested weakly.

"Of course it is. You are all soaked in the blood of the innocent. Every last one of you."

The ice in her voice cut through the Doctor deeper than anything Jackles had done to him so far. Having already been pushed against his physical limit by Jackles he did not feel he had the emotional strength to deal with whatever deep seeded loathing this creature held for him. Worse than that he couldn't honestly argue against her last statement when he applied it to himself. When she slipped her hand under his jaw he didn't turn away or even flinch. She brought his head up to face hers, he couldn't help but look into her youthful yet ancient eyes. For a moment he could see a flicker of sorrow in the depths of her gaze.

"Perhaps this could end now, for both of us, perhaps I could forgive you." She mused quietly. "I heard it once said that tears of a Time Lord can bring mercy to the heart of even the most evil soul."

The Doctor found himself holding his breath as she suddenly leaned in closer. He hadn't even been aware that tears were tracing down his face until she gently kissed his cheek to taste them. She pulled back and licked her lips with a glazed look on her suddenly unfocused eyes. The Doctor watched her apprehensively and realized that she was actually waiting to see if his tears would have some magical effect on her. Eventually she shook her head sadly and turned her attention back to him.

"I guess that one is just a myth." The woman sighed. "It was worth a try."

"Perhaps you're not evil...just insane?" The Doctor offered seriously.

"That possibility has occurred to me." She admitted quietly.

Sensing that he might actually be making a connection with his captor the Doctor tried to gather his strength to talk to her further. However before he got the chance she released the hold she had on his jaw and he discovered just how little energy he had left. Without the support he wasn't able to keep his head up and having his chin suddenly dropped to his chest nearly caused him to pass out.

"I shouldn't have let you get so weak...that was foolish, Aleena."

Despite the fact that he could feel darkness taking over the Doctor repeated her name over and over in his mind to make sure that if he did go senseless that he'd at least have that when he woke. Aleena stepped away for a minute while the Doctor poured all his concentration into staying awake.

Aleena returned and grabbed a handful of the Doctor's hair so that she could use the purchase to pulled his head back. Being forced to look up at the ceiling he expected her to jab him the throat with a needle of something, instead she poured the familiar thick green syrup into his mouth. Roughly given the options of drink or drown the Doctor convulsively swallowed the sweet liquid.

The high powered sugar was quick to help revive him, but he was fairly certain that Aleena was determined to fill his lungs with the stuff along with his stomach. When she finally pulled away he was left gasping and coughing. The Doctor closed his eyes and worked on not just vomiting the saccharine liquid right back up again. As the sugar hit his blood stream the agony in his shoulders and wrists melted away. He jolted in surprise when Aleena rubbed a cool damp cloth across his face to remove the green sticky stain.

"Let's see if Jackles' theories are true." Aleena said to herself.

Dropping the towel unceremoniously on the floor Aleena put her hand on the front of the Doctor's left ribs. Displaying a surprising amount of strength Aleena effortlessly broke several of his ribs with a quick jab. With a sharp gasp of shock the Doctor arched back as the broken bones lanced into his lung. Balling his hands into fists he lifted himself off the ground slightly from pulling up on the cuffs as all his muscles tensed.

Feeling as though he'd been jump started into regeneration he weld his eyes shut in anticipation of the explosion of light that always followed. However instead of a full cycle the warmth spread through his chest and vanished. When it was over the Doctor relaxed suddenly and breathed easily with newly healed ribs. More than just the ribs, he felt revitalized all over and the console lights started blinking a rhythm that agreed with him.

"Interesting." Aleena noted coldly. "This may actually work."

Still a little daze the Doctor shook his head causing gold dust to tumble out of his hair. Looking as though she had lost interest in her prey Aleena went over to the console and began interacting with it. With his physical strength mostly restored the Doctor spent a few minutes working on clearing his head. When a good plan didn't come to mind he decided to go with the first thing that did.

"Aleena...that's a nice name." The Doctor said honestly. "I like it, rolls off the tongue. Aleena. Aleeeeeenaaaa. I've never met an 'Aleena' before, and that's saying something. It's a good name."

"I've grown weary of it." Aleena sighed as she continued at the console.

"I'm sure you have." The Doctor nodded. He waited a moment before continuing with the conversation. "So, tell me...why are you so much older than anyone else on this ship?"

"What makes you say that?" Aleena snapped as she turned away from the console to face the Doctor.

"I can see it in your eyes," the Doctor smiled sadly "they are like mine, the eyes of an ancient creature."

The Doctor had hoped that finding common ground would be helpful, however hinting that they may be similar in some way only served to irritate her further. She stalked over to him and glared at him.

"I didn't mean to offen..."

"You may be a Time Lord but you know *nothing* of antiquity, Doctor." Aleena growled dangerously. "Jackles begged me to release you when he saw how young you were, I was not willing to show you that mercy."

"In your defense I'm a lot older than I look." The Doctor smiled hesitantly as her mood swung towards aggressive once again.

"I knew your youth, I just wasn't foolish enough to mistake it for innocents. A thousand years is plenty of time for a Time Lord to destroy countless lives. Still your life has been but a blip in history! You have the arrogance to consider yourself ancient, Doctor?! You do not know what it is to be old! You do not know what it is to be separated from your home by the stretches of time!"

The more Aleena spoke of age and time the more distraught she became. The Doctor didn't want to push her too far, but he felt that having her talk about her pain might help ease it. Aleena had been furious before, but now she was on the verge of tears.

"Aleena, how old are you?" The Doctor asked gently.

"I am over two hundred thousand years old and yet I haven't aged a day since my home was destroyed!" Aleena roared in a combination of fury and anguish. "Not one day!"

"You haven't aged..." The Doctor repeated thoughtfully. "Neither has any on this ship, have they? Not even the children, it's not that they die, they don't grow up because they don't age."

"And it drives us to madness!" Aleena snarled as her eyes brightened with tears. "I stand before you a creature meant to live a hundred years at most now cruelly locked in an immortal body, trapped in a mind that was never meant to experience so much!"

"You say it's everyone? Jackles, he doesn't carry a fraction burden as you do."

"Jackles and the others are every day as old as I am, but I alone carry the weight of all our years. Someone has to remember and as my people's leader that falls on me." Aleena replied with tears streaking down her face. "Someone has to remember! Someone has to know who we are!"

"Of course, memory removal, to help protect sanity. Probably every, what? Couple hundred years? Or even every few thousand?" The Doctor thought out loud. "You are a very clever people, resourceful, clearly advanced. What happened? What set you a drift in space, stuck in agelessness?"

"What do you think happened, Doctor?!" Aleena lashed out and grabbed the Doctor's hair to yank his head back painfully. "The same thing that has caused the senseless destruction and suffering of countless other species and civilizations across the Universe! We fell victim to the whims of the Children of Gallifrey!"

The Doctor remained still as Aleena threatened to break his neck. He wasn't certain what would happen if she used all her force against him, if it would kill him outright or if death was no long an option after what Jackles had done with him. Aleena seemed to not know what would happen either and was frozen with indecision.

"Please, Aleena, release me." The Doctor said softly. "I can help you. I will do everything I can to put this right."

"Jackles is working with what he has taken from you, we will age again, our children will grow and have families of their own. We will now finally have that peace."

"I can help him in his work." The Doctor offered. "I'm clever, I promise you that."

"He doesn't need you, we would never trust such a precious task to the likes of you." Aleena released her grip on his hair and pressed her hand against his left heart. She took a deep breath and calmed herself before she flashed him a cruel smile. "Besides, I need you now."

"For what?!" The Doctor demanded with a sudden flare in his temper. "Tell me, what do you want from me?! Tell me!"

"I want you soul."

"I'm sorry...what?"

"I'm going to cut into your hearts and tear your power right out of your chest and use it to end my two hundred thousand year Quest." Aleena taunted menacingly as she dug her nails into his shirt. "I will sacrifice myself, become that which I so despise in order to find the rest of the Time Lords and drive them to extinction for the good of all!"

"Aleena..." the Doctor sighed sadly "you've held on to your hatred for too long, it's too late for your revenge."

"It's never too late!"

"If you do this your Quest will begin me and end with you." The Doctor informed Aleena with a heavy heart.

"What do you mean?"

"I am all that's left, the last Time Lord."

No matter how many times he said the words out loud they never truly sounded real even to his own ears. Losing some interest in his own fate the Doctor rested his head against his suspended arm and stared at her. Aleena stared back at him for a moment as she debated between what she believed and what she was being told.

"I...I don't believe you." Aleena stuttered.

"I think you do."

Aleena shook her head.

"Trust me, if you become a Time Lord to enact your revenge on them you will only have yourself take your rage out on. Your long life will end senselessly right when you could have the chance to watch your child grow."

"No!" Aleena spat angrily. "The only thing a Time Lord is better at than brining death is lying to save his own skin!"

"I'm not lying, I'm warning you."

"Why would you warn me? You keep doing that. I don't understand."

"I don't understand it either. I don't know why I feel the need to warn you more than anyone else I've come across." The Doctor admitted. "However, I do know I wouldn't wish the burden of my hearts on anyone."

"Not even your worst enemy?" Aleena hissed. "The Time Lords don't know it yet, but that is exactly who I am!"

"Impossible. That position was filled a long time."

"Really? By who, Doctor?"

"By me, and nothing can change that...not ever."


	21. Chapter 21

NOTE: Remember all those other chapters that I claimed tried to kill me? I lied. THIS is the chapter that tried to kill me. I swear if you aren't exhausted by the time you're done reading it then I've failed you as a writer. ;)

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Chapter Twenty-one

"Stay away from him you crazy witch!"

Amy knew she wasn't supposed to touch anything but that hadn't been keeping her from letting her opinion be known, even if no one could hear her. When Aleena was at a distance Amy couldn't keep herself from pacing nervously. However anytime Aleena had come close to the Doctor or dared touch him Amy was right at his side, desperate to defend him against events she couldn't stop.

Amy was still trying to get the sound of the Doctor's ribs breaking under Aleena's hand out of her memory. Every time the ancient woman stepped closer Amy tensed in fear that she was going to lash out at him like that again. She was amazed by the Doctor's courage to remain calm and try to talk sense into the madwoman. However she found herself almost enraged when he kept trying to warn her away from her own self destruction.

With her eyes red from tears Amy paced restlessly while the Doctor tried to explain to Aleena what happened to all the Time Lords. She recalled the first time he had told the story to her and how it had taken days for him to smile at anything afterward. Even as he retold the tale now Amy had a hard time understanding a weapon so powerful that it could destroy an entire war not only in its own present but deep into the past and far into the future as well. As Amy watched it was clear that Aleena was either struggling with the Time Lock and Moment concept as well or that she simply wasn't trying.

"That's what happened, Aleena, that's why you won't find any more Time Lords." The Doctor finished his story with a heavy sigh. "It's over, they are gone except for me, even Gallifrey itself has been reduced to stardust."

Aleena narrowed her eyes and stepped up to the Doctor once more. When she put her hand on his ribs as though she might break them again Amy got as close as she could without touching him. She bared her teeth at Aleena like a wolf defending her pups.

"Don't you touch him!" Amy snarled uselessly "Don't you dare hurt him!"

"You think me a fool?" Aleena spat at the Doctor. "If there had been such a terrible war as you describe I would know about it!"

"The War was not one as you know it, Aleena. It was only visible to time-aware species. And with the destruction even in the past Time Lords are all but a myth, it's complicated..."

"It is not complicated! Your kind are cowards! That is why the Time Lords have supposedly disappeared, they are simply hiding! They have devised this as a trick to conceal themselves. You are lying to protect them!"

"He's not lying! He's telling the awful truth to protect you from yourself!" Amy barked at Aleena. "Can't you hear how difficult it is for him to share the past with you? How could think this is a lie?!"

"Aleena, I understand how hard this is for you to hear, but it's the truth." The Doctor insisted. "There are no more Time Lords, not now, not in the past, not ever, they are gone."

"No! They finally made enough enemies that they could feel the noose of retaliation tightening around their throats." Aleena accused. "Now they control events from some lofty perch where they do not have to risk themselves to the effects of the pain they cause!"

"Aleena..." The Doctor started but stopped when Aleena turned away.

Aleena retreated to the far side of the room and started typing a complicated code into the wall. She opened a panel in the wall and brought out a medium sized black box. Amy wasn't particularly interested in what she was doing, she was more concerned with the look the Doctor was giving the madwoman. Amy had seen that look before, it was the one the Doctor got when he was determined to fix something.

"Stop wasting your breath, Doctor." Amy said angrily. "She doesn't deserve your mercy, let her trap herself in the next five billion years of time. You gave her plenty of warning. You said it was important to know what happens here and you were right. Now were know she isn't worth saving."

"Aleena," the Doctor started again "please, listen to one more solution."

"Why are you trying so hard to save her?" Amy asked in disbelief. "She's evil, Doctor, at the very best she's dangerously insane. Either way, she's done nothing but torture you."

"I am not releasing you, Doctor." Aleena said firmly. She brought the box with her as she returned to the Doctor.

"I'm no longer asking you to, in fact just the opposite."

"What?" Amy and Aleena asked in unison.

"Keep me, leave me just as I am, right here. You know I can't escape or I would have by now." The Doctor said as he pulled at his wrists to prove the point. "Have Jackles reverse the age-lock, find a world to settle on, live your life for the next thirty years. If after that time you still desire your revenge...my soul will be here waiting for you to take."

Left speechless Amy just stared at the Doctor as tears slipped down her face. Amy wasn't sure if she would have hugged the Doctor or slapped him for making the self sacrificing offer to try and heal this woman's pain had she physically been in the room. Aleena didn't seem to know how to react either. She put the black box on the near by console and faced the Doctor once more. Aleena stared at him distrustfully for a moment as he peacefully gazed back at her.

"You would willingly condemn yourself to thirty years of this captivity?" Aleena asked suspiciously. "Why would you do that for me?"

"Not for you." The Doctor shook his head. "For the innocent that is going to be caught in the crossfire if you continue on your path to becoming a Time Lord."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You probably had the memory removed, just that one memory taken because it was too painful to bear." The Doctor explained with a sad smile. "Not that anyone could blame you, but removing the memory from your mind can't change what's inside you. If you look into your heart you'll know what I'm talking about."

"Be quiet!" Aleena cried in sudden panic as she took a step back. "I've never had my memories touched! You...you're talking madness!"

"Doctor, what *are* you talking about?" Amy whispered as she felt her own stomach twisting nervously.

"Then perhaps you never knew, or just never wanted to think about it. Either way I can't let you do this only thinking of yourself."

"No..." Aleena shook her head. "Stop talking..."

"Aleena," the Doctor smiled warmly "you're pregnant."

Aleena stared at the Doctor in horror as she backed away and automatically placed one hand low on her abdomen.

"I suspect you've been that way for over two hundred thousand years." The Doctor continued. "You haven't aged and neither has your unborn child, you're both frozen in time together. I can't imagine the torture of carrying a soul that is as old as a civilization and yet has no experience in the Universe. You've been a mother for so long, but you've never been able to meet your child."

"No, it's not true..."

"You know that it is. I can sense it, and deep down you can too." The Doctor insisted. "Aleena, listen to me: reverse the age-lock, raise your child, there is so much love to be found in family. There is no greater joy in this Universe than to spread life. I will wait for you, once your child is grown, and has children of their own, if you still wish to chase after the long dead Time Lords I will be right here. Promise."

Aleena stood frozen in place with her eyes locked on the Doctor. He had done all he could and now just waited for her to make a choice. Amy couldn't understand how all of this could still end so poorly, but she had seen the future and she knew things did not end here with Aleena peacefully agreeing to the Doctor's offer.

Looking like she was having trouble breathing Aleena suddenly ran from the lab. With his captor gone the Doctor bowed his head once more and rested his weight on his wrists. He didn't have nearly the strength left that he had been pretending to have. Amy reached out to touch his cheek with a shaky hand, but stopped herself from actually making contact. She was afraid that if she froze this moment that it might reset and they would have to relive it all again.

"You would really do it, wouldn't you?" Amy asked sadly. "You would hang here in agony for the next thirty years, not just to give the unborn a chance, or to show Aleena that there is still joy to be found in the world, but because you honestly believe you deserve it, don't you?"

"It's a small price to pay." The Doctor sighed.

"Doctor?" Amy asked in surprise. "Can you hear me? Doctor?"

It became clear that the Doctor had been talking to himself. Despite his sincerity and bravery when Aleena was present now that she was gone he was beginning to panic. Amy's blood ran cold as he started to hyperventilate and tremble. Amy had always loved the way that the Doctor was always in motion, he could never hold still, even when standing in one spot he tended to twirl in place or gesture wildly with his hands. She knew that to be held down had to be driving him insane, and the thought of being pinned down for years on end would be unbearable.

"This will be over soon, and no one is going to let you suffer here for thirty years...I won't let them. I bet Rory and I are working on saving you somehow right now. Clearly we don't exactly do a bang up job of it, but we're coming for you." Amy assured. "I know you can't hear me, and I know I wasn't here the first time...but I'm here now. You're going to make it back to me, I know that because you told me yourself."

The Doctor brought his head up and furrowed his brow for a moment. Amy held her breath as he looked around. When he looked in her direction his focus looked right through her, but he did pause. Amy's face was stained with tears but she forced a brave smile. The Doctor continued to stare in her direction and for a second Amy was convinced that he knew something was different about the spot.

"Doctor?" Amy asked hesitantly.

Aleena returned and drew the Doctor's full attention. He forced himself back onto his feet to hide the weakness Amy had just seen. Amy watched Aleena warily as she stepped up to the Doctor. She looked like she had been physically ill and was still shaking slightly.

"Aleena?"

"You were right, Doctor." Aleena whispered. "Records show I elected to have one memory removed...it was this one."

"So you'll accept my offer?"

"I...I can not risk giving a creature as clever and treacherous as yourself decades of time to escape or worse yet be rescued."

"There are none who would rescue me."

"I would rescue you." Amy said firmly. "I wouldn't leave you here even if you demanded it, you know I wouldn't."

"None?" Aleena asked doubtfully. "Not even the fire haired woman?"

"Fire haired?" The Doctor asked anxiously.

"She says her name is 'Amy' and that she is hu-man." Aleena said. "She is painfully loyal to you."

"You'd better believe it, Sister." Amy growled.

"Wha...what?" The Doctor asked in shocked. "How do you know about her? How do you know about Amy?"

"Because she's here, along with her male, Rory."

"They were not with me." The Doctor said firmly. "I came here alone. They travel with me, but not this time, I don't remember where I was going, but they weren't with me."

"I'm afraid that's not true." Aleena said with genuine regret. "They are here."

"No, no, no, no." The Doctor repeated in denial. "I would know that, I would not have forgotten that! They are home, they are on Earth, they are safe!"

"They came in the TARDIS with you. We had to take that memory from you. You were obsessed with their safety and freedom, you were impossible for Jackles to work with. They are being treated well, but they are stuck on this ship."

"No!" The Doctor roared.

Aleena stepped back in fright as the Doctor suddenly raged against the restraints that had held him for so long. Amy found herself automatically backing away from his wrath as well. Amy and Aleena both cringed at the sickening sound of the Doctor dislocating his own shoulders in his bid for freedom. His skin started to glow as he continued to break bone and rip ligaments. The partial regeneration fixed the damage, but the Doctor continued to struggle violently.

"Doctor, stop, please!" Amy begged. "You're just hurting yourself, it's not helping. Relax, Aleena doesn't hurt us."

To Amy's relief the Doctor did stop trying to tear himself free. Once again he looked in Amy's general direction as the warm glow healed the additional injuries he'd caused himself. After a moment of searching the air and never being able to focus the Doctor turned a spiteful glare on Aleena.

"Fighting those bonds will not help, that is Time Lord technology built by your kind to hold your kind." Aleena informed. "Injuring yourself is pointle..."

"You will not harm them!" The Doctor ordered. "You will not touch them or their memories! They have nothing to do with your people or the Time Lords!"

"I know that. They are just bystanders corrupted by your need for followers. I would never hurt them."

"Then let them go!"

"Gladly." Aleena said instantly. "But let them go where? Or better yet 'when'? From what we have been told it seems that we are far from their home in both space and time."

"I have to do it, only I can take them home."

"Then they are trapped with us forever."

"No, no, please. You have to let me take them home, please, Aleena, please." The Doctor's anger instantly turned to fear. "Take whatever precautions you feel you need to ensure my obedience, I will agree to any terms, but I must be allowed to return them to their time and world!"

"Never. A Time Lord within his TARDIS cannot be contained, trusted, or controlled. Amy and Rory will live with us, we will make sure they are happy."

"We would never be happy with you." Amy argued.

"You of all people can not condemn them to that life, they will be as miserable and homesick for their world as you are for yours!"

"You should have thought of that before you stole them from it and brought them along!" Aleena snapped angrily. "It's your own fault they are here!"

"He didn't 'steal' us!" Amy countered.

"It was wrong of me, selfish even, I know that, but it is so difficult to be alone in a Universe that is so vast. I have to have someone, and I try, I try so hard to keep them safe, to keep from mucking up their lives, I really do." The Doctor began talking faster as his panic increased. "Aleena, don't let me fail them, don't take me from them before I have a chance to return them home, before I can make things right, please."

"I...I can't..."

"You want vengeance? You want justice?" The Doctor interrupted in desperation. "What could be better than to have a Time Lord, the most powerful of creatures, begging you. And make no mistake, Aleena, I am begging you, if you released me right now I would fall to my knees before you in search of mercy. You said you wanted to hear despair, Aleena, this is it, this is the sound of despair. Please...they're my family, I love them."

Amy's heart stumbled in its rhythm in her chest. Knowing his request was going to go unheard made it that much harder to listen to him plea on their behalf. Tears spilled silently down her face as she stood by his side. Unable to take anymore Amy reached out to touch him, to stop the memory. The Doctor jerked away just before she made contact and looked in her direction fearfully. He still didn't seem to see her, but it was become more clear that he could sense her there.

"Doctor?" Amy asked through her tears.

"You really are the last of your kind, aren't you?" Aleena asked in sudden sympathy.

"Last of his kind?!" Amy cried angrily as she turned her attention on Aleena. "He's the *only* one of his kind! It has nothing to do with what he it, it's *who* he is...why can't you see that?!"

The Doctor didn't answer Aleena, he just stared at her in misery.

"It doesn't change anything..." Aleena sighed.

"Doctor!"

Amy's warning couldn't do any good. Aleena had gone to the black box while Amy had been distracted and retrieved the twin knives that it held. The Doctor took a deep breath just as Aleena slammed both blades into his chest to the hilt. Almost numb with shock Amy watched as the front of the Doctor's white shirt became stained with crimson blood from the devastating wounds.

Aleena had backed away, bringing her hand up to her mouth in horror of what she had done. The Doctor looked down at the ornate silver hilts embedded in his chest with a look of confusion more than anything else. Looking back up at Aleena he tried to speak, but instead gold dust spilled from his parted lips. Trying to take a breath against the blades in his chest the Doctor could only manage a shallow gasp.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Aleena whimpered. "It...it won't hurt for long...it's a quick death..."

The carvings on the dagger handles suddenly flashed and then the light chased itself down into the blade and disappeared into the Doctor's flesh. Amy and Aleena watched in equal horror as the Doctor began to convulse. Unable to make a sound the macabre scene played out in silence as a golden pattern glowed from under his shirt, each centered at one of the daggers but quickly spreading out. Amy didn't want to watch, but knew she couldn't turn away. The patterned burned a place into the Doctor's skin while he arched and twisted to try and escape it.

When it was over the Doctor relaxed completely, if Amy didn't know any better she would think he was dead. Aleena clearly believed that he was as she stepped up to him. Feeling like she was about to pass out Amy was forced to sit down on the floor. It suddenly occurred to her that if the Doctor lost consciousness that he would also lose connection with his memories, and that he might not actually even know what happens next. Aleena reaches out and gently ran her fingers through the Doctor's hair.

"I'm sorry, Time Lord, you were too dangerous. I will not use your power for myself...but I couldn't let you keep it either."


	22. Chapter 22

NOTE: I'm thrilled by how well this story is being received! Thanks to you all!

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Chapter Twenty-two

Amy woke gently without opening her eyes. Despite the fact that she vividly remembered all of the details of what happened between Aleena and the Doctor she felt safe at the moment. Laying on her side she was tucked under the Doctor's arm using his chest as a pillow as she leaned against his side. Noticing a gentle swaying she opened her eyes and glanced up, Amy found herself looking up through a close glass ceiling at a tangle of lights and wires.

Confused but comfortable Amy wasn't sure she wanted to move and instead used her other senses to try and figure out her new situation. It took Amy a moment but she decided that she was nestled in a soft woven hammock. Normally Amy would want to know how she had ended up curled up with the Doctor in the unusual cozy scene, but at the moment she didn't care she just wanted to enjoy the peace after all the violence. The Doctor reached up and gently smoothed out Amy's hair, barely making contact with her. Amy smiled and eventually she leaned her head back so that she could look up at him.

"Hello, Pond." The Doctor greeted warmly.

"Dare I ask what's going on?"

"I just needed a break."

"Do you...do you remember what happened?" Amy asked hesitantly.

The Doctor just nodded.

"Are we awake? I mean actually awake?"

"No."

"Where are we?"

"Ah...that's a rather difficult question to answer. The easy answer of course is that we're under the control dais in the TARDIS, the more complex answer involves a lot of metaphysics that frankly I don't really understand."

"How did we...uh...end up here?"

"You're just full of questions, aren't you?" The Doctor smiled.

"A lot of confusing things have happened."

"True."

"So what happened?"

"We learned all we could, and I wasn't having much fun with the whole memory thing so this is a proper dream." The Doctor explained. "See, it's got a hammock, I love a good hammock, it even swings without a breeze. Automatic hammock, how brilliant is that?"

"Brilliant." Amy agreed without much enthusiasm.

"Amy?

"I'm sorry. I just...I hated standing there watching so much..."

The Doctor gathered Amy closer and held her tightly. He kissed the top of her head before resting his cheek against her soft hair. Closing her eyes Amy took a few deep breaths and tried to relax her twisting stomach. The gentle swaying of the hammock slowly started to put her at ease. With her ear against the Doctor's chest she could hear him breathing easily and the slow four beat rhythm of his heart worked to further calm her.

"You still have two hearts..."

"If you're going to have a dream, might as well make it a good one."

Amy nodded and nestled in closer, placing a possessive arm around his waist. The hammock continued to rock the pair gently for while as they enjoyed the silence. Amy was suddenly lifted up as the Doctor took a deep breath and held it for a moment before releasing it again.

"Doctor?"

"Nothing. Just enjoying being able to do that. It never occurred to me that Aleena would have a set of Vale Blades...I can't imagine where she got them. By all rights they shouldn't even exist anymore, of course I never really believed that they existed in the first place. I assumed she had some technology of her own that she was going to use..."

"What's a Vale Blade?"

"A weapon created by a very old foe for use against Time Lords."

"Could you turn another species into a Time Lord with one?"

"In theory. However, that's not what they were designed to do, they were...well, never mind." The Doctor stopped himself. "What's really curious is that it shouldn't have turned me human or even partly human."

"What should it have done?"

"Vale Blades are lethal to Time Lords even if you don't put them through their hearts, but then again even a normal set of daggers, or even a reasonably sharp pair of kitchen knives, placed as expertly as Aleena did should have killed me without chance of regeneration."

"So you're double lucky to be alive."

"Yeah." The Doctor sighed.

"You could sound a bit more enthused about it."

"I don't want to be immortal." The Doctor replied quietly. "I'm not ready to die just yet, but I do find comfort in the idea that one day I will."

"You don't think that Jackles somehow did that do you? Made you immortal?"

"He certainly changed me. Beyond surviving the Vale, when you crashed into me on the bridge when the gravity turned down I could have sworn that I broke some ribs, maybe even my back, but within seconds the pain was gone and I could sit up. My body isn't supposed to work like that particularly not now that I'm mostly human."

"What are we going to do about that?"

"One problem at a time, Pond."

"Right." Amy nodded. "The Vale Blades, why can we remember them here, but in the 'real world' I always forget about them so quickly."

"That's right, I had forgotten, you have them." The Doctor mused. "That's why you're developing your Time Lord traits, you have an addiction to the Vale Blades. You must be cutting yourself on them."

"I am." Amy admitted. "I can't stop, but at the same time I can't even remember that I'm doing it."

"I'm fairly certainly Aleena would have placed a powerful Perception Filter on the Vale to keep others from tampering with them. We can remember them here in the dream world because of how the Filter works on the conscious rather than the subconscious." The Doctor explained. "Of course all this probably isn't going to do us any good, I underestimated what was happening here. I doubt either of us will remember any of this when we wake. Aleena knows how to handle Time Lords, I've not come across anyone with as much knowledge of them before, she might know more about my physiology than I do at this point. It's not just anyone who captures me and keeps me for any length of time, not to mention steals a memory of mine. She's a clever one, resourceful too. I wonder if sh..."

"You still want to help her, don't you?" Amy interrupted.

"Absolutely."

"Why?"

"Because she deserves it."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all. She is so alone, trying to do her best without any instruction or guidance."

"Alone? She's got a ship full of survivors."

"Aleena may be on a ship with others from her world, but none of them are like her anymore. Isolation in a crowd is the cruelest fate of all. Part of her wants revenge, you can't blame her there, but she is also desperate to ensure that what has happened to her never happens to anyone else, you have to respect that."

"Uh...no I don't."

"Well you should." The Doctor smiled warmly. "Show the poor woman some compassion."

"It's hard to be compassionate towards someone who hates you so deeply."

"She doesn't really hate me, she fears me. There is anger and cruelty in her, but it is all based on fear. She saw her whole world destroyed. That changes a person, and despite what some say time does not heal all wounds, cuts in the soul can be so deep that time only causes them to fester. Aleena is in pain, she deserves a chance to heal."

"You amaze me, Doctor. How can you be so forgiving?"

"Because I have a lot to ask forgiveness for in return."

"I forgive you." Amy hugged the Doctor tighter. "Does that count?"

"It means the world to me, Pond."

"Now then, if we could only get you to forgive yourself we'd be off to a good start."

"Let's not get too carried away." The Doctor chuckled. "One step at a time."

"What should our next move be? I don't know about you, but I'm not feeling so good about the idea of releasing Aleena from being stretched across time without remembering how dangerous she can be and with you still not being yourself."

"Right now just rest. I already worked on putting a psychic message in your subconscious as to what to do when we wake, I have no idea if it will work or not but it is the best we can do for now."

"If what will work, the message or what to do?"

"Both, either."

"What's the message? I don't remember you telling me anything."

"That's the point of it being subconscious, I can't tell you." The Doctor pointed out. "Just trust me."

Amy nodded and just relaxed against the Doctor's chest as the hammock continued to sing lazily. She couldn't imagine that she was going to forget all the horrors she had witnessed. Even now she was still having trouble with the sound of breaking bone and terrified look in the Doctor's eyes when he tried to breath with the daggers sunk into his hearts.

Closing her eyes Amy found that despite everything she was tired. She was hoping that the Doctor would get some rest as well, but it didn't take more than ten minutes before she could sense his boredom. He was trying his best to hold still, but he couldn't keep from tapping his foot. Amy smiled to herself, even in his dreams the Doctor couldn't remain idle for long.

"You're not tired are you?"

"Not at all." The Doctor admitted. "But I am comfortable, so I don't mind laying here."

"It's driving you crazy."

"It really is."

"Well, come on then, let's get up." Amy sighed. "How do we...how do we do that? I mean get back to the waking world?"

"That's not really up to us. Eventually we'll just wake up...hopefully."

"What do you mean by 'hopefully'?" Amy demanded.

"If my memory serves me, and granted lately it really hasn't, you are the one who forced me to sleep in the first place. I have no idea how long this will last, and since time in dreams doesn't behave the same way as it does in the waking world there is no way to know how much time has passed anyway."

"It must have been hours, Rory will be worried sick."

"I may have only been minutes, or seconds. Time lapse in a dream state is a funny thing. We may spend what we feel is days here with only minutes passing in real time."

"So what do we do?"

"I have an idea..." The Doctor smiled mischievously.

The Doctor sought out Amy's hand and took it in his own. Amy was surprised to suddenly find herself standing on the dais in front of the TARDIS console. The Doctor still had a hold of her hand and laced his fingers into hers. He had the manic energy that he always got just before they started a new adventure.

"Doctor, what are we doing?"

"Don't let go, it's important that you not let go." The Doctor said holding their joined hands up. "I don't know if I can keep you with me in this place if you do."

"Okay."

"In fact..."

The Doctor reached up with his free hand and undid his bow tie. Wrapping the length of cloth around their wrists a few times he tied it off, using his teeth to pull it snug. Amy gave the Doctor a doubtful look, but he didn't notice, he was too busy preparing the TARDIS for a trip. Tinkering with the myriad of switches, buttons, wheels, gears and controls the Doctor excitedly dragged Amy around the console several times. When he was done he turned to Amy with a bright smile.

"Pull that lever." The Doctor gestured vaguely.

"Which one."

"Any one, it doesn't matter."

"How can it not matter?" Amy demanded.

"It's just a dream, Amy, we aren't actually going to fly, you don't even really have to pull anything."

"Then why am I?"

"Because it's fun!"

Amy stared at the Doctor for a moment before shaking her head sadly. She reached out to flip one of the smaller switches on the console to make him happy. The tiny amount of participation seemed to satisfy the Doctor and he threw the large lever that caused the TARDIS to jump into 'flight'. At their destination he dragged Amy over to the front doors. He reached out with his free hand to open them but stopped suddenly.

"Oh, wait, here, put these on." The Doctor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two pairs of sunglasses and handed one set to Amy and slipped the other pair on himself. "It's really bright here, three suns and all, you'll need these. One of the suns is pink, try not to stare at it too long, it's beautiful, but it's still a sun remember and not really to be stared at...although this being a dream that might not be as big a deal, better safe than sorry though. Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"The Crystal Festival of course!"


	23. Chapter 23

NOTE: Did I say 30-40 chapters? I'm having so much fun with this story and you guys seem to enjoy a well developed plot/mystery enough that it's going to go well beyond that. Giggle. Thanks for all the encouragement!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-three

Rory woke in bed and sat up. Looking around he was somehow unsurprised to find that Amy was gone. He automatically assumed that she had gone in search of the Doctor. Not having gotten much sleep himself Rory yawned and noticed something odd.

"What the..."

Reaching up Rory pulled a what looked at first to be a tooth out of his mouth. Closer inspection revealed it to be his bridge work. He had lost the original tooth during a football match last year when he'd taken an elbow to the face. Rory inspected the area where there should now be a gap from the missing dental work, but he couldn't find one. Getting up he went over to the mirror and displayed a flawless smile. He looked closer and discovered that in place of the false tooth was a brand new real one.

"That's...not normal."

Putting the bridge work in his pocket Rory decided to deal with the sudden appearance of his new tooth later. Right now he was more focused on finding Amy and the Doctor and making sure they were both okay. Leaving the TARDIS he started heading towards the bridge. When he stepped past a cross corridor something told him to turn right rather than continue straight towards the bridge.

Rory paused for a moment before taking the next turn. Without really knowing why he made his way towards the outer hull rather than front to the bridge. Turning the last corner he stopped short in surprise at the scene set out before him. In front of an alcove that held a large window frosted with spirals and lines the Doctor was laying on the floor senseless with Amy straddling him. She had both hands gripped on the hilt of a silver dagger that she was holding high over her head in preparation to bring down on the Doctor's chest.

"Amy?!"

Paying no attention to Rory Amy started to bring the knife down. Breaking into a run Rory reached Amy and caught her wrists seconds before she stabbed her sleeping prey. Rory tore the knife out of Amy's hands and threw it across the floor. The dagger clattered against the metal floor and skid a few yards until it came to a stop in the shadow cast by the bottom edge of the next window over.

"Rory?"

Before Rory could answer Amy threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm embrace. Rory wasn't sure what to think of the affection after just stopping her from almost murdering the Doctor. Amy pulled away after giving his cheek a quick kiss. She looked down and noticed that she was sitting on the Doctor's hips.

"Rory, I'd love to be able to tell you that I can explain this, but I really can't."

"You were about to stab him."

"What? No." Amy shook her head as she got off the Doctor and knelt next to him.

"Seriously, you were going to kill him."

"With what?"

"With..." Rory paused. "You had something in your hands, at least I think you did."

"I don't think so." Amy looked at her empty hands. "Rory, I wouldn't hurt the Doctor. I certainly wouldn't stab him in his sleep."

"No, no I don't suppose you would." Rory agreed slowly. "I'm sorry, I guess...I don't know. I thought..."

"I think I was trying to wake him. He won't wake."

Rory furrowed his brow, still feeling that something wasn't right. Amy nudged him and brought his thoughts back to the present. Rory pressed his fingertips against the Doctor's throat and sought out his pulse. Rory was instantly concerned by the weak rapid heart rate fluttering in the Doctor's chest.

"Rory?" Amy asked anxiously.

"He's not doing well. Let's get him back to the TARDIS."

Rory gathered the Doctor up in his arms and got to his feet. Jolted awake by being lifted the Doctor clawed at Rory's shirt and tried to say something. Rory leaned in so that he could bring his ear closer to the Doctor's lips.

"Sugar..." The Doctor whispered.

"What did he say?" Amy asked.

"'Sugar'. I think he's hungry, in fact the weak rapid pulse could be a sign of starvation."

"Starvation?" Amy repeated in surprise. "How can he be starving so quickly?"

"I don't know, but considering how much he's been eating lately I'm willing to bet that's what's happening right now."

Barely conscious the Doctor nodded slightly to agree with Rory.

"There has to be a dinning area around here somewhere." Amy lead the way.

Rory wasn't sure if the Doctor had passed out again or if he had just closed his eyes, either way he was barely breathing. Unable to do anything about it Rory followed Amy through the corridors. By the time they found one of the dinning areas Rory was worried that the Doctor wasn't going to have the strength to eat anything. Rory carried the Doctor over to the wall by the replication machine and helped him sit up.

"We need something liquid." Rory informed. "I'll try to wake him up again."

Amy nodded and went to the machine while Rory worked on getting the Doctor to open his eyes. Rory used one hand against the Doctor's shoulder to keep him sitting upright and used the other to bring his head up. The Doctor grumbled like a school boy that didn't want to get out of bed in the morning.

"Doctor?" Rory asked. "Come on, eyes open."

The Doctor opened his eyes but couldn't seem to focus them.

"I need something sweet," Amy said to the machine "something you can just drink."

"Specify." The machine replied.

"Um...green. For some reason that rings a bell."

"Green?" Rory asked. "What kind of ord..."

Rory stopped as the machine seemed to understand Amy's request and produced a glass of a thick bright green syrup. Amy took the glass and gave it to Rory. He looked at the liquid distrustfully.

"This is the colour he was vomiting when this all started." Rory pointed out. "I don't think he should be drink thi..."

"Gimmie..." The Doctor muttered.

"Rory, don't ask me how I know, but this is what he needs."

"Alright." Rory shrugged.

Rory helped the Doctor drink the thick green nectar. Finishing the glass in short order the Doctor showed instant improvement. He motioned for another and Amy handed Rory another glass. This time the Doctor was able to take it from Rory and drink it himself. When he insisted on a third Amy didn't hesitate. Finishing the third glass the Doctor suddenly didn't look very well again. Scrambling to his feet he stumbled away from the others before he doubled over and threw up. He grabbed an abandoned glass of water off a near by table to rise his mouth out before turning to face Amy and Rory again.

"Two must be my limit." The Doctor noted sheepishly.

"Doctor?" Amy asked.

"Yes?"

"You okay?"

"Much better now." The Doctor smiled and spun around in place to prove the point but seemed to regret it and looked a little queazy. "Ugh...well mostly better. Low blood sugar, seems to be a problem for me lately."

"Clearly." Rory said.

"Pond, what's the last thing you remember?" The Doctor asked suddenly. "The last thing when we were both awake together. Quick as you can, before it's gone."

"I...uh...I was trying to force you to sleep."

"You were what?" Rory asked.

"It's complicated." Amy said.

"I started to fall into one of my spells. Do you remember anything while we were sleeping together?"

"No."

"Nothing at all?" The Doctor pressed. "Are you sure? Think hard."

"Nothing. Wait...something about a pink sun..." Amy recalled. "Spires made of beautiful colours."

"The Crystal Festival." The Doctor nodded. "Interesting. You were having dreams about a place you've never seen, but one that I have. You were in my memory. I thought you might have been. That means you might remember some of what happened to us on the ship in the past."

"But all I can remember is the pink sun."

"For now." The Doctor smiled. "Your memory has always been special, Amy. You brought me back from nonexistence with it, Rory too. Keep trying. I bet you saw a lot more than you think."

"If you say so." Amy said doubtfully.

"Alright, come on!" The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Let's get to work!"

"Work on what?" Rory asked.

"Getting the people unstuck from being stretched across time. Keep up, Rory." The Doctor admonished.

"I'm sorry, it's just that a few seconds ago you were nearly dead."

"That was a few seconds ago, I'm ready to go now, so let's go, come on, no time to lose, leg it."

"Doctor, you've had way too much sugar." Rory shook his head sadly.

"Yeah, two, two is definitely my limit." The Doctor agreed. "Off we go!"

The Doctor reached out and grabbed both Amy and Rory's wrists and dragged them back to the TARDIS at a hurried pace. Once back in the TARDIS the Doctor dove into one of the closets and dragged out a few tool boxes. Taking the boxes with him he disappeared under the glass topped control dais. Amy went to follow but stopped and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose as a sudden pain lanced through her temple. Rory was right at her side and put and arm around her waist in case she fell.

"Amy?" Rory asked in concern.

"Just a headache." Amy said.

"Are you sure?"

"It's nothi..."

"Oy!" The Doctor demanded from under the dais. "Amy, were you mucking with my TARDIS?!"

"I told you that I did." Amy said defensively.

"Oh, right." The Doctor called back. "Actually...you did a really good job, almost got it right."

"Almost?"

"Just needs a little adjusting. Come help, please."

Amy shook off the pain and crawled under the dais to the sloping floor below. Not about to let her go down there alone after what happened last time Rory followed. The Doctor was busy readjusting some small wires and flicking some switches. Amy and Rory sat next one another and watched. Every now and then the Doctor would reach out in a silent request for Amy's hand so that he could get a better look at things.

"That wire is going to need splicing." The Doctor decided as he reached for it. "Amy, could you hand me a knife?"

"Sure."

Amy went over to the tool box and selected a silver knife for the Doctor to cut the thick wire with. When she came back over to the Doctor he was busy with tweaking something else and wasn't paying attention. With the blade in hand Amy suddenly had the overwhelming urge to sink it into his heart. Acting on pure impulse Amy suddenly swung the knife towards his chest.

"Amy!" Rory exclaimed.

Rory lashed out and caught Amy's wrist just before she managed to plunge the sharp knife into the Doctor's chest. The Doctor stopped what he was doing and looked down at the point of the knife barely pressed against his shirt in surprise.

"Uh...did I not say 'please'?" The Doctor asked.

"Ohmygod!" Amy cried as she dropped the knife. "I...I'm so sorry...I don't know why...I just..."

"That's the second time." Rory said.

"Second time?" The Doctor asked as he bent down and picked up the knife calmly.

"When I first found you two I could have sworn that she was about to stab you in the chest."

"I'm so sorry, Doctor, I don't know what's wrong. I just couldn't help myself. Like a..."

"It's okay, Amy." The Doctor interrupted. "Come on, let's go up top."

The Doctor lead Amy and Rory out from under the dais. Once up on the glass floor he turned around and handed the knife back to Amy. She automatically took it and within seconds she brought it up and went for him again. The Doctor was ready this time and easily backed away from her attack. Rory grabbed her wrist and wrapped his arm around her waist. She didn't resist and instantly dropped the knife once again.

"Amy! Stop it!" Rory held her back.

"It's okay, Rory. It's not her fault." The Doctor said as he picked up the blade again. "She's reacting to a subconscious directive."

"A what now?" Rory asked.

"Doctor, I don't understand. I don't want to hurt you, I swear."

"I know you don't, Amy. We were psychically linked for a prolong period of time. I must have implanted this order in your head while we were."

"Why?!" Amy demanded.

"I don't know." The Doctor admitted. "But I think we should let you do it."

"What?!" Amy and Rory exclaimed together.

"There must be a reason behind it. And I don't think I can be killed at the moment. I'm so charged with regeneration energy that it keeps over loading my systems and sending me into these spells. Watch." The Doctor took the knife and casually sliced open his palm. It bled for a second before the blood turned to gold and healed. "I've been thinking a lot about this, I don't understand it, but it's like I'm stuck in some sort of regeneration loop where the energy builds until it discharges through the pattern in my chest and knocks me out. At least that's my current theory."

"That doesn't mean that a knife through the heart isn't going to kill you!" Rory pointed out. "That is insane!"

"Maybe it's just what I need. A one time release of the energy to stop the loop."

"This is crazy." Rory shook his head. "Amy, you can't think this is a good idea."

"Doctor, Rory's right, the risk..."

"The risk of letting the regeneration energy continue to loop and build might be greater. Why else would I have placed that message in your head?"

"I...I don't know..." Amy stuttered.

"Take the knife, Amy. Rory, don't stop her this time."

"Doctor, are you sure?" Rory asked.

"Trust me."

The Doctor offered the knife to Amy. This time she wasn't caught off guard by the offer and had some time to think about taking the weapon. She hesitated to take the knife but the Doctor insisted. Taking the knife she looked to Rory nervously, he shook his head. The Doctor put his hands behind his back and took a deep breath. Amy looked down at the knife but didn't have the same desire to weld it.

"Come on, the longer we wait the more time I have to think about this." The Doctor said impatiently.

Amy took a deep breath herself and brought the knife up unconfidently. Seeing the blade in position the Doctor clearly lost some of his courage.

"Wait, wait, wait..." The Doctor put his hands up defensively.

"What's wrong?" Amy froze in place.

"I've already lost one good shirt to this, let's not make it another." The Doctor explained as he quickly undid his bow tie and unbuttoned his shirt. He held it open to give Amy a clear shot. "Okay, okay, go for it...yeah...let's do this. I'm ready. No, wait...yes. Okay. Ready."

"Are you sure?" Amy asked nervously.

"Yes...no...sorry, I mean: absolutely."

"I can't watch." Rory muttered turning around.

Amy started to shake as she held the knife up.

"It's going to be okay, Amy." The Doctor encouraged. "Do it."

Despite his brave orders the Doctor weld his eyes shut tight as he turned his face away. Grimacing in anticipation he stood frozen waiting for Amy to strike.

"Doctor, I...I can't do this if you're going to make that face."

"Sorry, I'm just fairly certain that even if I don't die that this is *really* going to hurt."

"Of course it's going to hurt, it's absolutely mental!" Rory protested as he turned back around. "This is is a terrible idea!"

"Amy, do it!"

"I can't!" Amy cried. "Doctor, please, I can't do this. Before it was just automatic, but now..."

"You've thought about it too long, your conscious mind is overwriting anything placed in your subconscious. Put the knife down, close your eyes, open them, pick it up, and then don't think, just act on instinct. Please, just try that and if you still can't we'll drop it."

Amy agreed only because she knew that putting the knife down for a second wasn't going to change anything. Amy place the knife on the TARDIS console and closed her eyes. She counted to ten before opening her eyes. Picking up the knife she looked up at the Doctor's exposed chest and just as before the urge to attack him took over her senses.

Bringing the knife up high Amy arced it down with all her strength. The Doctor watched her calmly, only reaching out at the last second. He took a hold of Amy's wrist and stopped her from piercing his skin. Amy didn't fight to get to him, once stopped she instantly became peaceful. Holding the knife centimeters from his chest Amy gave him a questioning look.

"I changed my mind." The Doctor explained. "Rory was right, this is a terrible idea."

"Thank you!" Rory exclaimed in exasperation.

"I just realized that if I am in a loop putting a knife in my heart will probably just end it by killing me or there is a chance that it will release the energy all at once killing all three of us. Either way the risks are too great."

Amy breathed a sigh of relief herself and dropped the knife. No longer a threat the Doctor released her. He picked up the weapon and studied it for a moment. Not wanting Amy to accidentally pick up the sharp object again and go for his heart again the Doctor went over to the edge and dropped it down under the dais.

"Now what?" Rory asked.

"Well we learned a lot just from the simple fact that Amy was willing to do it. There clearly is something in Amy's subconscious driving her to attack."

"I'm so sorry." Amy apologized.

"I'm the one who put it in your head, Pond."

"Right...so...why would you have wanted me to stab you in the heart?"

"I have no idea, but I'm sure I thought myself spectacularly clever at the time."

"Maybe the message got messed up." Amy offered.

"That's a possibility." The Doctor said not sounding convinced. "Something keeps telling me that I'm forgetting something *so* important. This knife doesn't seem right, when I woke I had two daggers in my chest that I had to pull out...but now I can't remember what they looked like. I can't even remember what colour they were. You'd think that's something I'd remember."

"All of our memories have been a little spotty lately." Rory pointed out.

"Yes, but I remember everything else about that event. Everything." The Doctor insisted. "I remember every little detail right down to the pattern of rust on the metal floor to the sensation of having my lungs heavy with blood, but when I try to think about the blades themselves there is just this...blank."

"What does that mean?" Rory asked.

"I...I don't know!" The Doctor growled in frustration. "I can't seem to think straight any more!"

"A Perception Filter?" Amy offered with a shrug.

"Amy! Yes! Of course!" The Doctor jumped at Amy in excitement. "Why didn't I think of that? I can be so *slow* at times, that's why I have you around, oh you are brilliant! Just brilliant! Top notch!"

"Actually I think you told me it was a Perception Filter...in our dream."

"But you're the one who remembered!" The Doctor said proudly. "It must be amazingly powerful, not only to remove memory of the blades, but to also disguises the concept of the Perception Filter, even my sonic hasn't been picking up any stray Filter waves. That's very impressive. Usually a Perception Filter is something that I would notice eventually, although I really haven't been myself. This explains why Amy wants to stab me!"

"It does?" Rory asked confused.

"Yes, maybe, sort of, possibly. I don't have all the details. However, I'm guessing that the blades in my hearts are what stole my 'soul' and burned this pattern in my skin, no clue as to why it would turn me somewhat human, you can't ask me to have all the answers with my memory all swiss cheese." The Doctor started talking faster and gesturing wildly with his hands in excitement. "But the important thing is that I'm willing to bet that during this last spell Amy and I learned that the blades are reversible! They must have stored my essence and if we put them back where I found them I can get my hearts back!"

"Put them back where you found them?" Amy repeated. "You mean embedded in your chest?"

"Exactly!"

"Fun times." Rory said sarcastically.

"There will be two blades, two hearts, two blades," the Doctor said to himself "but a Perception Filter strong enough to erase something from even my mind will make them virtually impossible to find."

"There must be a way."

"There is one person who could see them without any trouble." The Doctor nodded.

"Who?"

"Whoever placed the Filter on them in the first place."

"Aleena." Amy whispered.

"What did you say?" The Doctor asked.

"Her name is Aleena, I don't know how I know that."

"I told you, Pond, your memory is special." The Doctor smiled. "Say her name again."

"Aleena." Amy said with obvious distain.

"Hearing the name...it affects me," the Doctor mused "it make me sad, unbearably sad, any yet it hardens my resolve to stay, to help despite the pain they obviously caused me."

"It affects me too." Amy admitted.

"How so?"

"It makes me..." Amy hesitated to continue. "It make me cold, angry, it makes me want to leave right now and leave these people to their fate and never think of them again."

"Amy..."

"She's dangerous, Doctor."

"She's my only hope."

"Aleena will never help you." Amy said firmly. "She despises you and everything you are. Please, Doctor, just trust me. We need to go. We can't release her, she'll do something terrible, I just know it."

"Amy, you're the one who is supposed to be keep me on the right path. You would have us leave all of these people to an unknown agony for all eternity in fear of one woman?"

"Aleena isn't a woman...she's a monster."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-four

_ 'I have waited countless years to hear that pathetic moan from the laboured breath of a truly broken Time Lord...'_

Amy jolted awake with Aleena's cruel words ringing in her ears. Sitting in the small arm chair that was near the TARDIS console Amy had nodded off while the Doctor continued to work on the adjustments. She rubbed at her temples as a painful headache stabbed at her. Amy's recall of being in the Doctor's memories were still only vague feelings, flashes of images and piece of out of context dialogue, but it was enough to make her increasingly anxious to go home.

At the controls the Doctor was trying his hardest to fix the system to give the time stretch the jump it would need without Amy's help. Clearly frustrated he kept changing various settings and using the sonic to determine what effect they had if any before fine tuning his work some more. Amy doubted that he would be having half as much trouble if he would just take her hand, but he was still convinced that using her Time Lord abilities would only lead to making her sicker faster.

"Where's Rory?" Amy asked.

"I sent him on a mission." The Doctor replied without stopping what he was doing.

"He was getting under foot, eh?"

The Doctor didn't admit to Amy's assumption one way or another. Connecting two small wires together they snapped at him angrily with a spark of electricity. The Doctor jerked his hand away with a surprised yelp. He shook out his hand before carefully disconnecting the two incompatible wires and trying something else.

"I think the TARDIS is trying to tell you something." Amy said only half jokingly.

"Time Lords are mostly immune to electricity, normally I wouldn't even have noticed.

"I can't talk you out of this, can I?" Amy sighed sadly.

The Doctor stopped what he was doing and turned his attention to Amy for a moment. She shifted her weight uncomfortably under his thoughtful gaze. Eventually turning away the Doctor looked around the interior of the TARDIS with a heavy heart. Amy knew that without being in contact with her the TARDIS looked dull and lifeless to his eyes, but at least he was alive. The more her memories came back to her the more she became convinced that he was lucky to have survived his first encounter with these people.

"You can talk me out of this," the Doctor finally replied quietly "but not here."

"What?"

"Come along, Pond."

Walking past Amy the Doctor headed for the front doors. Uncertain of what the Doctor was up to Amy just followed him. The Doctor clearly had a destination in mind as they stalked though the metal hallways. He didn't say a word, but he didn't seem to be angry or brooding, he just didn't have anything to say. Coming to a random spot in the hall he stopped and turned to face Amy. Amy stopped and looked around, but she didn't see anything special about this spot.

"Okay," the Doctor said "this is the spot. Take my hand, tell me you want to go home, and we will."

"Simple as that?" Amy asked suspiciously.

"Simple as that."

"I want to g..."

"You have to take my hand first."

The Doctor held out his hand with a vulpine smile twitching the corner of his lips. Amy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. The Doctor wiggled his fingers to emphasize that the point that he wasn't going to listen to her if she wasn't holding on. Not sure what he was up to Amy gave in and took the Doctor's hand.

Amy yelped as one of the figures stuck in time suddenly jumped into view. With more of the Doctor's essence in her veins from the Vale blade Amy could now make out features on the small humanoid shape. Although still distorted and ghost like in appearance it was clearly a young girl. Amy realized quickly that this was the child that the Doctor had seen when he'd first realized what was happening. At the time for Amy it had just been a cold void, but now she could see better. Looking closer Amy noticed she had a purple mass of some sort held in her arms.

"What is she holding?" Amy asked.

"It's a stuffed animal," the Doctor answered quietly "a treasured toy of some sort."

"How do you know its treasured?"

"It's seen many miles, it's all raggedy around the edges, clearly well loved." The Doctor smiled. "Anyway, you were saying something about wanting to go home?"

"That's not fair, Doctor."

"What?"

"Stop acting all innocent." Amy huffed. "You knew she would be here."

"Now, now, Amy, don't make it sound like I tricked you." The Doctor chuckled. "Seriously though, we already had this conversation. We know there is danger here, but there are innocents too."

"I know." Amy admitted. "I just...there is this sound in my head, ever since we woke up, I can't get it out and it just haunts me."

"What is the sound?"

"Breaking bone."

"Amy..."

"You said they might need something from you, that they were doing regeneration experiments, and maybe at one point they were. But at least some point along the way it wasn't about that, she just wanted to hurt you, and given another chance she'll do again."

"Well then, this time around I'd better not give her that chance." The Doctor pulled Amy closer. "I'm not going to be caught off guard again. I've been rewiring this ship to do a lot more than just affect the time stretch. In fact, watch this..."

The Doctor pulled out the sonic and with a quick flash Amy found herself back in the TARDIS with him. She looked around surprised. The Doctor appeared pleased with himself as he put the sonic back in his jacket.

"I made improvements to the teleport system." The Doctor explained. "And I've done a lot more than that. I don't know how I was captured the first time, but I guarantee you I'm not going to let it happen again."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Amy smiled.

"Honestly? Rory."

"Rory?"

"I told you I sent him on a mission. He's out gathering up some of that sweet green syrup that I seem to be dependent on. I need to figure out what that is, hopefully I can make it myself. Honey seems to work for my hunger as well, but not nearly as effectively as the green stuff."

"Why are you so hungry?"

"I don't know." The Doctor admitted. "Something to do with the interaction between my biological self and my regeneration self, these 'spells' are not easy on this body. I need to make sure I keep enough of that around to keep me alive."

"I thought you said you couldn't be killed."

"Killed, no. Die, maybe."

"There's a difference?"

"Of course. Violent acts against this body appear to stir up the regeneration energy. Time also seems to allow it to just build." The Doctor explained as he went back to the console to tinker. "However that energy has to been drawn from somewhere and that takes energy and the base unit of biological energy is sugar. Cut my flesh and it will heal, but lock me in a room and I'll probably starve to death in short order in this state. Particularly after one of the spells, they seem to really take it out of me. Or maybe I'd just go into a coma, or maybe if I let it get that far I'd finally regenerate prope..."

"Doctor?" Amy interrupted.

"Sorry, rambling."

"Yeah." Amy reached up and absentmindedly scratched at the faint marks in her chest under her blouse. "I'm going to go freshen up, I'll be right back."

The Doctor made a slight noise of acknowledgment as he was preoccupied by his work. He had a vague notion that Amy wasn't supposed to be wandering off alone, but by the time he looked up she was already gone. Knowing she was safe inside the TARDIS he put the finishing touches on the console. The Doctor brought his head up again as Rory returned with a glass jug of bright green syrup.

"Rory, good man, bring that over."

"Computer would not tell me what it is."

"The computer on this ship is rubbish. I tried talking to it when I first woke up, it doesn't know anything. There is no history of the people, no journals, no books, no knowledge, all it does is run things. It's a ship without soul, there is nothing here to hint about who lives here."

"Isn't that a bit, well, odd?"

"Extremely." The Doctor took the jug from Rory and sniffed at it. "Have you tried this?"

"No. Looks disgusting."

"It's really quite fantastic. Here," the Doctor offered the jug back "try it."

"Do I have to?"

"I'll like your opinion on it."

"Fine." Rory sighed and took a pull at the syrup. "Ugh, too sweet."

"That's what Amy said."

"Where is she?" Rory asked.

"I'm here." Amy called as she returned.

"Right on time." The Doctor smiled. "I think I'm almost done."

Amy joined the boys on the dais. Looking over the controls she reached out and flicked several switches, ripped out one of the wires that the Doctor had just replaced, and threw a large silver lever. The TARDIS sprung to life and hummed with an odd pale yellow light. The Doctor stared at Amy in shock.

"There all done." Amy said confidently. "We should step outsi..."

"What did you do?" The Doctor demanded.

"I just rerouted the Galix..."

"Not to the TARDIS, to yourself." The Doctor correct. He pulled out the sonic and scanned Amy. "You left to 'freshen up' and you came back more powerful. What did you do?"

"I just splashed some water on my face."

"Uh...Doctor?" Rory tried to get the Doctor's attention as the glow of center pillar began intensifying.

"Not now, Rory. Amy, you did something more." The Doctor pulled down on the neck of Amy's blouse and revealed that her marks were getting darker. "What did you do?"

"I don't..." Amy furrowed her brow. "I don't..."

"You don't remember." The Doctor finished for her. "You have them, or at least one of them, you must. Amy, where are they?"

"Where are what?"

"Doc..." Rory started again.

"Not now, Rory! The daggers, the blades that were in my heart when I woke. Remember? We were talking about this, they have an extraordinarily powerful Perception Filter on them, but I've been thinking about them non stop. You must be cut..."

The Doctor was interrupted by the TARDIS alarm going off with its resounding deep bell sound. He looked up at the core that normally glowed blue that was becoming an increasingly blinding white. It hadn't occurred to him that when Amy said 'all done' she had meant that she had set the Haldon stretch in motion rather than just finished the set up.

"Run!"

Grabbing Amy and Rory by the wrists the Doctor yanked them towards the front doors. The TARDIS would be fine during the energy burst that went along with the Haldon burst, but as living creatures being that close to a vortex expansion would be devastating. He didn't exactly know what would happen, but at best it would be instantly lethal.

They were a few feet from the door when the Doctor noticed that he hadn't yet plug together the thick cord that would conduct a majority of the pulse to the bridge where he had set the main controls to reroute to the rest of ship. Without that connection the TARDIS was about to pour all of the time energy into the interior of the main chamber. Again the Doctor wasn't sure of the consequences, but the TARDIS was crying out like she was about to put a hole in the Universe

Shoving Amy and Rory out the door he locked them behind them knowing that they would just come back in when he didn't follow. Even as he raced back towards the cable he could hear them banging on the door. Skidding across the smooth floor the Doctor dove for the open ends of the cables that were already glowing red hot.

Grabbing a hold of the cables the Doctor cried out against the searing heat. Working quickly before the heat ruined his ability to use his hands he forced the chunky cable connectors together. With the cable set the Doctor dropped it as it began to glow yellow with the increase in energy. The TARDIS alarm was growing louder as the center pillar shimmered with a brilliant white light.

As the light was joined by a high pitched whine the Doctor knew there wasn't much time before the actual Haldon burst tore through the main chamber. Fearing he didn't have time to reach the door the Doctor reached into his jacket to retrieve the sonic. The burns made his hands clumsy and he was only able to get the sonic out by turning the pocket out and dropping it on the floor. Unable to pick it up properly he scooped it up and hugged it tightly to his chest. He weld his eyes shut and willed it to work as the Haldon event exploded through the TARDIS.

Thrown violently the Doctor slammed back first into a cold solid surface. He expected there to be a lot of noise and chaos from the Haldon reaction. However, now that he had landed everything was still and calm. Opening his eyes the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. Despite not being held right the sonic had come through for him and activated the transporter. He was in the destroyed lab, he had been aiming for the area just outside the TARDIS, but he was glad to just have made it somewhere.

The Doctor took a deep breath of the cool air and closed his eyes again as the pain in his hands quickly ebbed away. Laying on the floor he took a moment to recover from the near miss with the Haldon event. Feeling as though he may have fallen asleep for a few minutes the Doctor jerked awake only to find an older man looking down on him.

The Doctor stared up at the man and found himself pinned to the floor in terror. He had never experienced anything like it, but just looking at the unfamiliar face made the Doctor physically tremble. Suddenly having trouble breathing he just stared up at the man not daring to move. The man was knelt down next to him and he put his ear again the Doctor's chest for a moment.

"One heart..." The man said with obvious relief. "Are you hurt?"

Paralyzed with fear the Doctor couldn't find his voice but he did manage to shake his head slightly.

"Good, get up. Hurry."

Still trying to snap himself out of the horrifying hypnosis that the man had over him the Doctor tried to sit up. When the man went to help him up the Doctor cringed like a beaten dog.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Dr. Jackles, I'm faithful to Aleena, I promise. How's your memory? I'm missing at least a day, maybe more, and it's not my turn for a Clean. I think I know what's going on and it's not good. We need to go."

Slowly getting over the initial shock the Doctor allowed the frantic Jackles to help him to his feet. The Doctor took a deep breath and looked Jackles over. From the way his instincts reacted he assumed that man trying to help him now had once been one of his tortures. Jackles looked ready to crawl out of his own skin with fear himself at the moment.

"Jackl..."

"It's not safe here." Jackles insisted. "We have to warn the others."

"There is no danger." The Doctor assured.

"There is the most grave danger conceivable, my Friend. I think there is a Time Lord loose on the ship...an angry one, certainly wrathful, possibly insane."

"Jackl..."

"We have to capture him before he can call others for help and bring the wrath of all of Gallifrey down on us."

"Trust me, there's no need to rush..."


	25. Chapter 25

NOTE: Can't sleep...must write...

On another note I got a phrase into this chapter that I've been dying to get into this story! You'll know it when you see it!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-five

"We need to get to the bridge, but he's already hacked into the transporter!"

"I hear Time Lords can be clever with transporters."

"They are clever with everything," Jackles said seriously "that's what makes them so dangerous."

"So I've been told."

"Come on, we'll have to walk."

Leaning against one of the burnt out computer consoles in the ruined lab the Doctor reached into his jacket and brought out the sonic and clicked it on briefly. Jackles was heading for the door and cried out when it suddenly slid shut in front of him. While Jackles tried uselessly to get the door to open the Doctor pulled out his phone and sent Amy a quick text to let her know he was okay and to hide. The inside of the TARDIS wouldn't be safe for a few hours at least after the Haldon burst.

Turning the phone off for now the Doctor slipped it back in his pocket. Sitting up on the console he watched Jackles desperately trying different combinations on the wall control to get the door to open. When Jackles tried the communications circuit to call for help the Doctor used the sonic to block him again. Thrown into a full panic Jackles slammed his fist against the solid metal door a few times. Resting his forehead against the locked door in defeat Jackles sighed.

"We are all going to die..." Jackles whimpered "and it's my fault."

A ship wide alarm suddenly went off as the rest of the crew realized that something was terribly off. Jackles jolted at the sound and backed away from the door. Annoyed by the noise the Doctor turned it off. The alarm gave the Doctor the impression that the memory gap had effected everyone to some extent and that it was probably wrecking chaos on the inhabitants of the ship as they panicked.

Uninterested in the others at the moment the Doctor continued to study Jackles. After dragging his hands through his thinning salt and pepper hair Jackles sighed and joined the Doctor at the console. He leaned against it and stared at the floor. The Doctor felt bile rise to the back of his throat at having Jackles so close and it took all his will power not to move away from him.

"I knew it would end like this one day." Jackles whispered. "It was inevitable that a Time Lord would eventually tear through us like a wolf among sheep, but it certainly didn't help that I poked a spear in him first."

"Maybe if you just talk to him, you'll discover he's not as violent as you think." The Doctor suggested.

"Don't be foolish. You can not reason with a Time Lord, you can not negotiate with one, you can not even beg for mercy."

"I'm sure he would say the same of you."

"What?"

"You spoke of the need to capture him before he could call for help. Why would he need to bring the 'wrath of all of Gallifrey' down on this ship unless he was being mistreated?"

"It wouldn't have mattered either way." Jackles muttered darkly.

"Why not?"

"You must be a member of memory C Class or lower." Jackles noted.

"That's right." The Doctor lied.

"You're lucky, I'm A Class but most days I'd give anything to be D or even F for that matter." Jackles forced a chuckle as if he'd told some kind of joke. "However you are right, I'm sure the Time Lord suffered terribly at my hand. Once he's slaughtered the rest of the ship he will come back here for me. I'm sure that's why he's sealed me in here, hopefully you didn't have much of a hand in his torment and he will grant you a quick death."

"What did you do to him?" The Doctor asked gently.

"I don't remember."

"But you know what you think you did." The Doctor insisted. "What did you have planned for the day you caught a Time Lord?"

"I...I don't want to talk about." Jackles whispered as he glanced over at the broken pieces of the device that once hung from the ceiling. "Turns my stomach to think about it, even without the memory of what actually occurred...I can't believe I even suggested it, let alone built the device. I deserve a slow death at the Time Lord's hand."

"I think that depends on your motivation."

"What?"

"Why did you torture him? What did you want from him?"

"I can't tell you, you're not A Class, it's...it's classified." Jackles stuttered. "I...I can't..."

"You're going to die." The Doctor pointed out. "Nothing can stop a vengeful Time Lord, he's probably ripped half the ship apart by now."

To emphasize his point the Doctor used the sonic that he was casually holding in his far hand to cause the lights to flicker. Jackles jerked in fright and looked to the Doctor for courage. As much as he hated to admit it the Doctor found that he got some satisfaction in seeing Jackles fear him.

"Confession is good for the soul, Jackles." The Doctor said softly. "Why did you capture and torment a Time Lord?"

"For the good of all..." Jackles whimpered.

"What does that mean?"

"When was your last Memory Clean?" Jackles asked suddenly.

"A while back." The Doctor answered vaguely.

"It's been nearly fifteen thousand years for me...longest I've ever been by far and it's driving me mad. As you know A Class keep far more memories to start with, but even for us fifteen thousand years is much too long to go without any Cleaning at all."

"Why have you gone so long?"

"Because I came up with a theory, a theory as to how to break us free from the Age Lock. I shouldn't tell you this but we don't age because of what the Time Lords did to us. I came up with a theory of how to use a Time Lord's energy to reverse it." Jackles whispered. "Lady Aleena and I agreed that we couldn't risk me losing it to a Cleaning accident so I haven't touched one since. I spent the last fifteen thousand years working on my lab, all the while we've been secretly trying to capture a Time Lord."

"And you finally found one slow enough." The Doctor grumbled.

"We must have." Jackles nodded. "And in what would have been just in time to save us. We were running out of time."

"Why the time crunch if you weren't aging?"

"I shouldn't tell you." Jackles said guiltily. "I've already said too much. I shouldn't be talking to you. Why am I talking to you?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes slightly and turned the alarm back on to instill some more fear in Jackles. Getting to his feet Jackles paced nervously for a moment. Turning the alarm back off the Doctor got off the console as well and went over to put a comforting hand on Jackles' shoulder. Jackles put his hand over the Doctor's and smiled gratefully.

"Please tell me, why did you capture a Time Lord?"

"This isn't public because we didn't want to panic people, but the Memory Residue from Cleaning is building up in the adults faster with each passing use."

"I don't know what that means."

"Of course you don't. Only Aleena and the A Class know this, but with the current Cleaning schedule in just under a thousand years the adult population of this ship is going to go insane and die. Even if we stop all Cleaning it won't take more than two thousand years at this point for anarchy to break out. We are just too old, we can't keep going on. Unfortunately our children can keep going."

"Unfortunately?" The Doctor asked surprised.

"It will take at least one hundred thousand more years for the same Residue build up to effect the children. Their young minds don't mature, so they need Cleaning more often, but they Clean better with less Residue. However, they will not be able to care for themselves, they have bodies that are hundreds of thousands of years old but even without Cleaning they would always have the intellect of children. They would be unable to run this ship, or the Cleanings, or care for one another. If the Time Lord wasn't killing them right now without a cure for the Age Lock we would have been forced to kill them ourselves or leave them to drift in space as helpless orphans."

"And taking something from the Time Lord could have stopped this?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" The Doctor asked.

"I had to try something, I had to take the risk, we were running out of time!" Jackles began to panic. "I knew it was going to be horrible, I knew it was going to be cruel, I knew I'd never be able to live with myself after ward...but my daughter, my wife, everyone else on this ship, they could all live, and age, and grow, multiply, and die as nature intended. We could finally settle on a world and know peace again. I had to try! If you had to condemn one soul to suffer to save your entire species...wouldn't you do that? One man, that's all I asked for, that's all I took, *one* soul! Is that so much to ask?! Wouldn't you do anything to save your family, save the people you love?!"

"This isn't about me." The Doctor deflected.

"You're right." Jackles nodded sadly as he bowed his head in weary defeat. "I'm sorry, I don't know even know why I'm telling you all of this. You're a lower memory Class, I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems. That's why we set the classes in the first place, so that at least some of us would know peace. I'm sorry, I've talked too much about myself when we are both about to die."

"It's okay." The Doctor sighed. "I have one of those faces: everyone talks to me, but no one ever listens in return."

Jackles furrowed his brow and looked at the Doctor, appearing to truly see him for the first time. Lost in thought the Doctor leaned against the console once again and absently played with the sonic as he tried to figure out what to do with the information he'd been told. Learning that the Time Lords may be behind placing the people on the ship in an Age Lock had terrifying ramification that he didn't really want to think about. If these people were who he suddenly feared they might be it meant a terrible lie had been told and a dark secret had been created long ago.

"I'm sorry," Jackles took a nervous step back "I...I...never did get your name."

"I'm called The Doctor." The Doctor replied quietly without looking at Jackles.

"Doctor? Doctor who?"

"Just The Doctor."

Putting the sonic away in his pocket the Doctor raked his hands through his long hair before he finally turned his attention to Jackles. Standing a few feet away Jackles was just staring at him. When the Doctor didn't move Jackles took a step closer. Once again the deep hidden memories of pain caused the Doctor to automatically recoil when Jackles approached. Seeing the effect he had on the Doctor for the first time Jackles froze in place.

"It...it's you..." Jackles breathed in horror "you...you're the captured Time Lord..."

The Doctor just nodded.

"But, you can't be...you only have one heart...I...I checked... Unless..."

"You cut the other one out of me."

What little colour remained in Jackles' face instantly drained away. The Doctor yelped as Jackles suddenly dropped to his knees and scrambled over to him. Putting his hands out to try and keep the groveling man at a distance the Doctor backed away until his back was pressed up against the far wall. Despite his age Jackles was amazingly quick even on his knees and kept pace. Prostrate at the Doctor's feet he gripped the hem of the Doctor's pants tightly.

"Jackles, get off me..."

"Time Lord, I beg you, do what you want with me, torture me till the end of time itself, but leave the rest! I alone caused your pain, I alone should take the punishment! Please, leave my people, we have suffered so much already. I am begging you to show mercy!"

"Stop that, get up." The Doctor ordered annoyed. "Get off your knees this instant."

"But..."

"There is no punishment, Jackles." The Doctor assured gently as he helped Jackles back to his feet. "I'm not angry, well...maybe a bit. However, I'm not going to hurt you, I forgive you."

"How...how can you possibly forgive me? Why would you?"

"Do me a favour and just accept the fact that I do."

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. If you understood me, you wouldn't have feared me and we could have solved this without all this violence!" The Doctor snarled. "If you had just *talked* to me when we first met, all of this could have been avoided!"

"No, never. I'm sorry, but there was no avoiding this, Doctor."

"Why not?"

"Because I would never have listened to you until you heard my story..."

"...and you would never had told me your story if you'd known I was a Time Lord."

"Exactly, bit of a paradox."

"Tricky thing about paradoxes, they tend to work themselves out. Still, no fun being in the middle of them when they do..."


	26. Chapter 26

NOTE: The line you guys were looking for in the last chapter: "Doctor? Doctor who?". I thought I would jump out since it is a classic 'who phrase', (digital cookie to Lovely Rain Dancer for picking up on it!).

* * *

Chapter Twenty-five

"Doctor! Doctor!"

Amy slammed her palm against the locked TARDIS doors after the Doctor had shoved her and Rory out. Rory threw his shoulder into the deep blue wood, but despite the flimsy look of the door it had withstood far greater onslaughts than Rory and didn't budge. Amy reached up and banged on the frosted glass windows, but she stopped and took a step back as the TARDIS began to make a high pitched whine.

"He's going to die in there," Amy whispered in horror "he's going to die alone and it's my fault."

"Amy..."

"I...I must have made a mistake...he's trying to fix it, but there isn't time. Rory..."

Rory instantly gave up on the door and gathered Amy into a comforting embrace. Amy buried her face against his chest as the noise from the Haldon generation grew more intense. She gripped Rory tighter and held her breath as the Haldon grew seconds away from exploding. Amy didn't have the heart to tell Rory that it might not just be the Doctor that was about to die, if the TARDIS itself exploded all of creation could end...again.

Rory did his best to comfort Amy as the TARDIS cried out with the effort it was taking to generate the power needed for the time stretch. The actual Haldon event was not nearly as spectacular as Rory had been expecting when viewed from the outside of the TARDIS. In fact the only thing that really signified that anything had happened was a flash of light that ran along the cable plugged into the outside of the ship followed by silence and a queazy feeling in the pit of his stomach. However he wasn't sure if the queasiness was from the Haldon burst or the idea that they had just lost the Doctor. Looking at the TARDIS doors a few stray tendrils of steam escaped.

"Doctor...I'm so sorry." Amy whimpered.

"Maybe he's okay."

"Nothing living could survive in there."

"Yeah, but, this is the Doctor we're talking about..."

Amy pulled back far enough to be able to look up at Rory. He forced a brave smile for her and she returned it. She knew that he didn't believe his own words, but she appreciated that he was willing to try just to comfort her. Amy closed her eyes and rested against Rory's chest, she wasn't sure what to do or even think at the moment. Her heart was so heavy that she felt that it could just stop. She was suddenly convinced that if it didn't have Rory to keep beating for that it would have. Unable to even cry Amy just listened to Rory's heart. The still scene was interrupted by the sudden sound of a chime.

"Uh...was that your mobile?" Rory asked.

"Oh thank God," Amy breathed in relief as she brought the phone out of her pocket "it's the Doctor. I don't know how, but it's him."

"What did I say? That man has more lives than a tabby cat." Rory chuckled weakly. "What does he have to say for himself?"

"'_Amy, your TARDIS touching privileges are revoked until further notice_.'." Amy read the text and rolled her eyes.

"Sound like the Doctor."

"'_PS_,'" Amy read as the phone chirped again "'_other than nearly putting a hole in the Universe good job, Haldon worked. Hide, I'll seek you later._'."

"What's that about a hole in the Universe?"

"He's kidding." Amy lied. "I guess we should hide."

"Hide?" Rory demanded. "Can't he just let us back in the TARDIS?"

"He's not in there, he must have teleported somewhere. It won't be safe for hours in there due to the Galdex particles."

"Right, because you know that sort of thing now. Okay, so, whe..."

Rory jolted as an alarm sounded throughout the large water treatment sub-basement that the TARDIS had landed in. The alarm didn't last long, but it was enough to let Rory and Amy know that the ship was waking up and they knew something was wrong. Rory took Amy's hand and they ran to the near by forest of pipes and condensers that were attached to one of the towering water tanks. Once in the relative concealment of the tangle of pipe work Amy stopped, but Rory tried to pull her along.

"We should stay close to the TARDIS." Amy said. "It's where the Doctor will come looking for us first."

"It'll be the first place anyone else looks too."

"I don't think so. I don't think they know where it is. If they did, wouldn't they have put a guard on it?"

"What?"

"The Doctor said the Haldon event worked, so all the people are back on the ship, but none of them were around the TARDIS when they were first trapped in time or else they'd be here right now. If they knew the first thing about Time Lords, and clearly they did, they would know to at least post a guard at the TARDIS. I honestly think they never found it the first time around."

"So we landed in the wrong place, in a boiler room on ship rather than another world, and then...what? We just decided to go on a walk about to figure out where we were and got into trouble?"

"Exactly."

"Sounds about right." Rory admitted.

"So we stay here?"

"Okay."

Rory and Amy settled into the shadows of the large pipe work and waited in the silence. The more time that passed the more it looked like their gamble had been a good one. At one point the alarm went off again, but as before the frightening noise didn't last long. Amy and Rory were just starting to let their guard down when there were sounds of an approach.

"The cable runs through here!" A voice called.

Amy looked at Rory with horrified realization. The inhabitants of the ship would have quickly picked up on the thick cable that the Doctor had run from the TARDIS to the bridge. It had taken them a while, but they had followed it back to its source. Amy and Rory pressed themselves against two of the larger pipes to hide as the men approached.

Rory swore under his breath as a group of a dozen men in what appeared to be tactical dress armed with unusual hand weapons came into view. At their lead was a young looking tall man with a lean athletic build that clearly commanded the respect of the others. Without saying a word he ordered them into a defensible position around the TARDIS. From their hiding spot about one hundred yards away Amy and Rory cautiously watched from the shadows.

"What is is?" One of the men asked.

"This is all B Class information, however under the circumstances I'm giving you all temporary Memory Class promotions." The tall leader of the group growled as he stepped up to the doors without touching them. "Nothing said here leaves here. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir!" The group replied in unison.

"This is a TARDIS, and that confirms our worst fear. It is a Time Lord's ship. Do not let its humble appearance fool you, it is much vaster on the inside and infinitely powerful." The leader informed the men as he continued to inspect it. "Some form of smoke or steam is coming out of it though, so it might be damaged."

"Damaged? So it can be affected by weapons?" The leader's apparent second asked. "That's good news if it is damaged, Ithican."

"An animal is most dangerous when wounded, Tarin." Ithican pointed out.

"You speak of it as though it was alive." Tarin said nervously.

"In many ways it is."

"Do you think the Time Lord is inside?"

"No. We would all be dead if he were. However, he won't be far, and he will do *everything* in his power to return to it." Ithican said as he looked around vigilantly. "This ship means more to him than anything. Even damaged it can still allow him to call to the others for help."

"The others?" Amy whispered to Rory. "They must know we're here too."

"Hooray." Rory whispered back sarcastically.

"Ithican...can we win this?"

"I don't think so." Ithican said honestly.

"What about Lady Aleena?" Tarin asked hopefully. "Can you save her? If you could convince her that the battle is finally lost, you could take her away before it's too late. Then she would be free to finally tell our story. If we are all to die anyway..."

"Aleena will never abandon her children while they still breath." Ithican smiled sadly. "She will stay by our side until the bitter end unless the goddesses of Fate and Destiny drag her away from us personally."

Amy still felt a sickening twist in her stomach every time she heard Aleena's name even though it was clear that these two were devoted to her. With her heart pounding Amy found her persistent headache getting increasingly worse. Rory looked over at Amy from his hiding place a few feet away and noticed that she was flushed. Without thinking he reached out to check her temperature.

Ithican was far more alert than Rory or Amy expected and the slight motion in the shadows among the pipes and metal work caught his eye instantly. Rory yelped and grabbed Amy's wrist to run as Ithican suddenly sprinted towards them. The athletic military leader closed in on them with Tarin on his heels. Two others had gone around to flank them, but it wasn't needed. Once Ithican was within twenty-five yards he tossed a small sphere at the fleeing pair.

The sphere hit the ground and rolled out past Amy and Rory. Rory tried to change directions with Amy to avoid the unknown device, but it let off a flash of blue light that knocked them both senseless. Ithican ran up and roughly turned Rory on his back and put his ear to Rory's chest. He was more careful rolling Amy over and he did the same before getting back to his feet. Ithican looked down at the unconscious pair thoughtfully as Tarin stepped up to his side.

"Time Lords?" Tarin asked doubtfully.

"No." Ithican shook his head. "Companions, the Time Lord equivalent of a pet. Poor souls stolen from some backwater planet to keep him company until he tires of them, or gets them killed."

"What do we do with them?"

"Aleena wanted all intruders brought to her." Ithican motioned for two of the men to come over. "Take them to Aleena, do as she commands with them, and then return. Also tell her we found the Time Lord's ship."

The men nodded. They each picked up one of the fallen humans and carried them away.

"Is it wise to send these Companions to Aleena?" Tarin asked.

"They are not dangerous."

"Could they be used to control the Time Lord? As hostages?"

"No." Ithican shook his head sadly. "Time Lords have two hearts, but they are both useless. He will always choose that little blue box over those he calls his friends."

Tarin looked at Ithican in horrified disbelief. Ithican closed his eyes for a moment, his shoulders slouched as though there was a terrible weight across his back. Tarin had a vague memory of Ithican once having such broad shoulders that were always held back with pride. For so long that memory had seemed like just a ghost image, but right now it was the man in front of him that looked more like a ghost.

"I used to envy you, Ithican." Tarin said suddenly. "I'm sure I had my envy for you Cleaned time and time again, but it always comes back."

"What? Why?"

"As a C Class I used to think that memory B Class was a privilege and an honour, but I see it now for what it truly is...a curse. I don't know how you live with it."

"If we defeat this Time Lord I promise to remove the burden of knowing our persecutors from your mind."

"Thank you, my friend. I wish I could do the same for you."

"Some one must know the danger we face."

"I can't imagine the pain Lady Aleena and the A Class live with."

"At least the A Class have each other...Lady Aleena is all alone with the Ultimate Secrets."

"We can not let the Time Lord silence her." Tarin said firmly. "If he has come to kill the woman we love, we should kill the woman he loves! Not a quick death, make her scream to him to save her, draw him out into the open and then we will have him!"

"I already told you, he doesn't love his Compani..."

"Not the girl...the little blue box!"

"That won't work either."

"Why not?!"

"We'd be lucky just to scratch the paint."


	27. Chapter 27

NOTE: I added a few lines at the end of Chapter 26 at like 9 am Central USA time, so if you got to it before then, there is a slight revision (nothing huge).

I love that you guys were concerned for the the TARDIS.

Anyway! The story marches on!

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Chapter Twenty-seven

Aleena jolted awake with a painful headache. She felt as though she was waking from a nightmare and spent a moment trying to recall what the dream had been about. There was a heaviness in her heart, a sense of guilt and regret that she didn't understand. Aleena struggled to focus on a few scattered images in her mind, but none of them were truly clear. Sitting up in bed she noticed that she was fully dressed which didn't make any sense to her.

Getting to her feet Aleena stepped out of her bedroom into the adjoining stateroom. Her matron Yala was busying herself straightening up the already perfect room. The older looking woman turned and smiled brightly upon seeing Aleena, however Aleena could see fear in her eyes. Yala rarely showed any concern and to see her anxious placed Aleena further on edge.

"Yala, what is happening?" Aleena asked. "I do not remember going to bed, I can not remember where I was suppose to be last, but it was not here."

"There appears to have been a ship wide Memory Accident, Lady Aleena, you were found unconscious in the lower decks and brought here only moments ago." Yala assured. "You are safe."

"What of the rest?" Aleena demanded.

"I do not know, I have not been told of any injuries. Please, just rest. Master Ithican is looking into the situation." Yala said. "How is your hand feeling?"

"My hand?"

"I was unsure if it was a burn or a cut, but I wrapped it for you."

Aleena brought up her right hand and stared at the gauze wrapped around it. There was no pain that would indicate an injury. Curious she undid the gauze and pulled it off. Taking a step back in surprise Aleena gasped at the slightly raised pattern that marked her palm. She instantly recognized it as the same one that was carved into the handles of the Vale Blades.

"Ho...how many hearts do I have?"

"What do you mean, M'lady?" Yala asked confused. "How could you or anyone have more than one?"

"Please, Yala, check for me."

Yala was obedient and stepped closer to press her ear against Aleena's chest for a moment. Aleena held her breath as she trembled with a combination of fear and excited anticipation. Yala pulled away calmly and smiled.

"One heart beat," Yala announced "although it races terribly, you should lay down."

"The Time Lord may still be alive..." Aleena said horrified.

"Time Lord?" Yala repeated. "What is a Time Lord?"

"Nothing to worry about." Aleena forced a smile. "Yala, the younger children of deck 7 will be frightened, you have such a calming influence please help the parents with them."

"Are you sure you will be alright?"

"I am fine. Go, help the others."

"Of course, M'lady."

Yala clearly didn't want to leave, but she bowed to Aleena and did as she was asked. Rushing to the wall Aleena pressed her left hand against the glass panel that would activate the transporter to take her down to Jackles' lab, however nothing happened. She tried the transporter several more times before she tried the intercom instead.

"Jackles?" Aleena called into the panel without a response. "Jackles?! Damn it. Ithican? Ithican are you there?"

"I am here, Aleena." Ithican replied through the intercom. "I am sorry to have left you alone. I needed to check on the others."

"I understand. Is anyone hurt?"

"So far everyone is just disoriented. Transporter is down, the whole ship has gone into safety mode so no one must have been flying her for at least a day."

"Have you heard from Dr. Jackles?" Aleena asked hopefully.

"Not yet. Captain Macken reports that the bridge has been tampered with by something with extraordinary skill. With the missing time and memory he believes that he may have done the changes himself in some attempt to save us from danger. We are no longer in deep space, we are orbiting a planet that shows no signs of civilization."

"What planet?"

"Unknown, it has a binary star system. The bridge is disabled to the point where our charting systems are useless. Macken says it will take him weeks if not months to repair the systems."

"Ithican...are you alone?" Aleena asked suddenly.

"No, Mum."

"Find privacy at once, the next thing I say is for you alone."

"Right away."

Aleena paced nervously as she waited for Ithican's voice to return. She stared down at the pattern in her palm trying to understand it. Nothing she had ever learned had mentioned anything about the carvings on the Vale Blades transferring their design onto the user or the victimr for that matter. Before she could analyze the marks further Ithican returned.

"Aleena? I am alone."

"Ithican, listen carefully, the day may have come. This might all be the work of a Time Lord."

"A Time Lord? Here on the ship?"

"Find him, at all costs find him. If he can be safely subdued alive I want him alive."

"I can answer that question right now: he can not."

"There is a good chance that he is injured, bring him, in fact bring anyone you find who does not belong on this ship directly to me. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Send someone to find Dr. Jackles as well and have them contact me right away."

"Yes, M'lady."

"And Ithican?" Aleena added softly

"Yes?"

"...nothing, never mind. Stay safe."

"Always."

Aleena stayed by the intercom for a moment before shaking her head and going to walk back across the room towards a large locked cabinet. Halfway there she stopped and noticed that she could see a sliver of the planet that they were orbiting from her floor to ceiling window. Going to the large glass window she tried to get a better view of the mysterious planet. From where she was there was nothing particularly special that she could see but the fact that they were lightyears away from their last known location didn't settle well with her.

Going to the locked cabinet Aleena used her biosignature to gain entry. She pulled out a giant ancient tomb bound in leather and metal. Taking the book to the table she opened the well worn pages and poured through the text. Searching through the information that she already had committed to memory she eventually gave in and slammed the book simply titled 'The Valeyard' closed.

"Useless!" Aleena roared in frustration. "I had everything so carefully planned. If I got to the point where we could actually use the Blades what could have gone wrong?!"

Uncertain of how much time had passed Aleena went to go place the book back under lock in the cabinet. Just before she could make the decision to go looking for Jackles herself there was a chime at her door. Hoping it was Jackles she opened the door.

At first Aleena was afraid that she was being brought the first of what would be many casualties. In two hundred thousand years they had suffered very few deaths. Any deaths that had occurred were always from accidents and since thousands of years could pass between them her people knew almost nothing of death or what to do when someone was killed. Often they were brought to her simply because whoever found the dead panicked. The lower memory classes didn't even know the meaning of the word 'death'.

However it didn't take Aleena long to realize that she did not know the pair that Olis and Naran had brought her. She stepped closer and looked Rory over out of curiosity, however she knew that he couldn't be a Time Lord simply because Ithican wasn't the one holding him. Turning her attention to Amy Aleena paused for a moment, Amy's bright red hair tugged at her memory.

"Ithican says that they are 'Company'?" Olis said uncertainly.

"Companions." Aleena corrected.

"Ithican also reports that he has found a TARDIS, he and the others are setting a trap for the Time Lord there."

"Do exactly as Ithican commands as though his word is mine through all this."

"Yes, Mum." Olis nodded. "What should we do with these two?"

"Place them in a stateroom for now, make sure they receive medical care." Aleena reached out and ran her fingers through Amy's hair. "They will want to be reunited with their Time Lord when they first wake, they may even lash out violently at us, but make sure they are not harmed. This isn't their War."

Olis nodded and turned to leave as he did so a glint of silver sticking out from the top of Amy's boot caught Aleena's attention.

"Wait..."

Olis froze instantly. Aleena stepped up and drew the dagger out of Amy's hiding spot. She turned it over in her hand a few times the carvings in the hilt gave off a soft golden glow when they came in contact with her marked right palm. Aleena looked at Amy once more, but after a brief inspection she couldn't find the other blade on her.

"Leave her with me."

"My Lady?"

"I'll be okay, just take the male away."

Not about to argue with Aleena further Olis brought Amy into the room. Aleena had him bring Amy into her bed room and lay her down. As a precaution she took Olis' ion cuffs from him and secured Amy's wrists behind her back before sending him away. Aleena spent a moment doing a more thorough search for the second dagger, but still couldn't find it.

"I am impressed that you kept a hold of even the one as long as you must have." Aleena admitted to the unconscious Amy.

Leaning down Aleena pressed her ear against Amy's chest. Closing her eyes she listened carefully to the single heartbeat. She had heard that Time Lords could use a trick to stop both hearts to appear dead, but she had never heard of any stopping just one to hide their identity.

When Aleena brought her ear away Amy's blouse was pulled to the side and Aleena caught sight of the top of the marks on her skin. Pulling the neck of Amy's shirt open further revealed the dark pink spiral and line pattern. Aleena smiled as she looked at the marks in her own palm and back down at the same pattern splashed across Amy's chest.

"That proves it...not a Time Lord, but rather a Time Lady." Aleena purred. "I have cut one heart out already, all I need is the other Blade and I can finish the job."


	28. Chapter 28

Note: Ack! It's 1:40 am and I'm writing! Arrrrgghhhh. Luckily it is a Friday and I can sleep in tomorrow. On a different note I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Enjoy! I'm pleased you guys are still interested 168 pages in...

* * *

Chapter Twenty-eight

Down in the ruined lab the Doctor looked over at the broken and twisted technology that lay scattered across the floor. As much as he wanted to remain calm the longer he spent standing near Jackles the more agitated and fearful he became. Even if his mind didn't remember what had happened it was clear that his flesh did. Jackles wasn't any better off and kept glancing at the door, obviously hoping that the Doctor would unlock it. With no intention of letting Jackles go just yet the Doctor turned his attention on Jackles and took a deep breath to keep from losing his nerve.

"What did you do to me...physically?" The Doctor asked hesitantly. "Give me the short version."

"Short version?" Jackles repeated confused.

"I don't have the time or patience right now for all the torturous details, and 'yes' the pun was intended." The Doctor explained. "Quickly now."

"I...I...well...Time Lords have this regen..." Jackles stuttered.

"I do not need a lesson in Time Lord biology!" The Doctor snapped. "Tell me how this device of yours worked."

"Ah, right. Well...it generates a powerful galvanic radiation somewhat similar to Xtonic rays but safe to harness since it is produced sheerly through an electric effect. The power drain was massi..."

"I don't care about your electric bill." The Doctor interrupted impatiently. "What kept it from just killing me in a matter of seconds? Amy said I would scream for hours."

"Amy?"

"Remember what I said about my patience?"

"You didn't die or change bodies because the galvanic radiation was set to alternate every 10.8 seconds with a mechanical Regeneration Field for 1.2 seconds, just enough to keep a proper regeneration cycle from triggering, the purpose being to build up a charge of true regeneration energy within you until it could be taken in one event, I calculated that it wouldn't take more than fifty to seventy-fiv..." Jackles stopped his rambling as he saw the look of horror on the Doctor's face. "I...I told you it was horrible...I...I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry? For what?" The Doctor asked coldly as he narrowed his eyes at Jackles. "For trapping me in an endless loop of agonizing execution by radiation electrocution and rebirth for hours on end until you could rip my essence from me? I don't see why you should feel the need to apologize for that. Also I'm sure I never offered to try to solve your problem another way before you began. I'm sure I was completely unwilling to help. I probably stormed onto your ship threatening to kill you all!"

"Docto..."

"No, stop, don't even try to explain!" The Doctor snarled angrily. "Beyond the sheer cruelty of the act at the time, by using a Regeneration Field on me in this way you may have altered my physiology forever! Did it even occur to you that I might have to suffer the consequences of this long after you had what you needed from me?!"

"No." Jackles whispered as tears slipped down his face.

"Of course not," the Doctor growled "the process was meant to kill me in the end."

"No, but..."

"Be silent, I don't think I can bear to hear what you have to say next."

Feeling sick to his stomach the Doctor closed his eyes and covered them with his hand for a moment while he fought to calm himself. Being locked up in the destroyed lab learning about what had happened was just making it increasingly difficult to control his temper and anxiety. Jackles stood perfectly still, not even daring to breath. Eventually the frightened Jackles felt he needed to try and explain himself again.

"Doctor, please...you have to understand how much my people feared yours."

"I'm sensing that." The Doctor hissed as he brought his hand back down. "What I don't understand is why. The Time Lords never hunted or persecuted your kind. I even met another ship of your people and helped them, they also thought they were the last, but they held none of this fear, nor did they have an Age Lock or a need for Memory Cleaning, but..."

"Wait... Y...you know who we are?" Jackles asked shocked.

"Of course I do. There is only one race that uses mechanical Regeneration Fields, technology taught to you by the Time Lords I might add. But the Mi..."

"No!" Jackles cried. "No! Please! You can not tell me who we are!"

"What?"

"Only Lady Aleena knows who we are, where we came from."

"Why?"

"Only she knows why."

"Then clearly I'm talking to the wrong person." The Doctor pulled out the sonic.

"Wait..."

"One more thing before I leave." The Doctor said as he unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt and held it open to show Jackles the marks. "Do you know recognize this pattern? Or know how it got there?"

"No, no I don't." Jackles replied as he automatically reached out. "It's beautif..."

"Don't you touch me!" The Doctor roared as he jerked back. "Don't you *dare* touch me!"

The Doctor had pulled his hand back to strike Jackles but didn't get to the point where he actually lashed out. Not taking any chances Jackles dropped to the floor and trembled in fright. Suddenly panting for breath and shaking himself the Doctor took a few steps back, but it did nothing to reduce his panic or rage. Unable to stand being in the same room with Jackles any longer the Doctor used the sonic to activate the teleporter. Forgetting about the residual Haldon energy in the TARDIS he automatically returned to the control chamber.

"Amy?" The Doctor called. "Amy? Rory? Hang on..."

The Doctor looked around and noticed the slight shimmer that was coming off of everything. Taking his next breath he realized that it must be hundreds of degrees within the TARDIS. The deep bell like warning alarm was still going off and outside he could hear people mucking about.

"Now what?"

Aiming the sonic at the console the Doctor flicked on a switch before he quickly made his way towards the doors. Half way to the door the Doctor's skin began its now all too familiar glow as the heat inside the TARDIS began to damage it. Finding it increasingly difficult to run he looked down and discovered that his shoes were actually melting to the floor.

Abandoning his shoes he high stepped across the searing hot floor towards the door. He could hear the men outside banging on something that was causing the TARDIS alarm to grumble in irritation. Throwing open the doors the Doctor jumped out and hopped from one foot to another as they cooled and healed. Ithican and his men were splicing something into the cable connected to the TARDIS, but they all froze at the sight of the glowing and disheveled Time Lord. Without his shoes and having never rebuttoned his shirt after Jackles he didn't look like his normal collected self.

"Oy!" The Doctor shouted at the startled men. "What are you doing? Are you insane?!"

"Open fire!" Ithican ordered instantly.

Several of the men were already on guard for an attack and turned and opened fire with a laser pulse type weapon. Unconcerned the Doctor watched as the pulses harmlessly hit the small shield he had turned on before leaving. Ithican quickly gave his men the order to stop and bravely stepped up to the invisible barrier. The Doctor shook off as if coming in out of the rain and brushed at the layer of the gold dust on his arms to remove it. The lights on the windows of the TARDIS had flared brightly when the men had opened fire on the shield. The Doctor turned and put his palm gently on the door.

"It's okay, Dear, I'll take care of this, just...cool off. Literally." The Doctor informed the TARDIS before turning on Ithican. "What's your name?"

"I am Master Ithican. I hear by arres..."

"Ithican, stop whatever you are doing with that cable. I am not kidding, do *not* put my TARDIS in a snit!" The Doctor warned sternly. "You will regret it, this ship will regret it, the whole Universe will probably regret it. Trust me on this."

"We are only trying to protect ourselves!"

"The only thing you people need protecting from is yourselves!"

"You are the one inva..."

"Shut up." The Doctor interrupted. "Where are my friends?"

"They are safe."

"I assumed they were safe. You didn't harm them the first time, so it stands to reason you won't harm them this time. However that doesn't answer my question. Where are they?"

"I don't answer the questions of Time Lords." Ithican hissed.

"I think you'll find that you will answer me."

"What makes you so certain?"

"Because I'm asking nicely and you know I have the power to not need to ask at all..."


	29. Chapter 29

NOTE: I had *no* intention of this chapter working out the way it did...but I'm happy with it just the same. I've never written a story that occurs so 'out of order' the way this one does, it's fun! Enjoy!

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Chapter Twenty-nine

Aleena paced around in her front room unsure of what to do. There was still no word from Jackles and that was making her increasingly nervous. Deciding that his lab would be the best place to start looking for the second blade anyway Aleena felt it best to go to him directly. Wanting to ensure that her Time Lady was secure Aleena headed to the bedroom to double check the restraints before leaving.

Stopping short at the door Aleena gasped sharply as she discovered that her captive was no longer alone. Sitting on edge of the bed was a lanky man with a mass of unruly brown hair wearing a white shirt with an unusual piece of blue cloth tied in a bow at his throat. Aleena knew he must have heard her enter, but he didn't even glance in her direction.

Completely focused on Amy the Doctor pressed the back of his hand against her cheek and looked at her with deep concern. He had removed the cuffs from her wrists, placed her under the sheets of the bed and tucked her in. A fine bead of sweat covered Amy's skin as she struggled against a fever in her sleep. The Doctor brushed a stray lock of red hair away from Amy's face and tucked it behind her ear before leaning down and gently kissing her forehead.

"It's going to be okay." The Doctor whispered. "I will get you home safe. Promise."

The Doctor finally turned his attention to Aleena. He slowly got to his feet, but didn't approach her. Instead he stood with his hands held palms out to show her that he didn't have a weapon or any intention of attack. Despite his attempts to look unthreatening in the back of Aleena's mind was a voice was screaming at her to run. However she found herself not moving from her place in the doorway.

"Hello." He greeted softly. "You must be Aleena."

"How did you get in here? Who are you?"

"I'm the Time Lord you defeated." The Doctor replied calmly with a sad smile.

"Wha...what?"

"I know you think it's her," the Doctor gestured back towards Amy "and I can understand the mistake, but I can assure you the power burning through her came from me."

Losing some of her initial fear Aleena raised a skeptical eyebrow as she looked the Doctor over.

"I'll admit I don't exactly look the part, I've had a rough few days." The Doctor reached up and tried to tame his hair but he just made it worse. "Aleena, we need to talk."

"Talk? Or negotiate?" Aleena demanded.

"Perhaps a bit of both. Are you willing to do that?"

"And what if I'm not?" Aleena asked defiantly.

"Then I'll announce to the entire ship who they are, where they came from." The Doctor brought out the sonic and flicked the intercom so that squealed throughout the ship to prove to her that he could talk to everyone at once if he wanted. "I don't know why you fear that, but I know you do."

"You're bluffing." Aleena said confidently. "If you knew who we were, if you had an ounce of power left, we would be dead already. In fact I don't even believe you are a Time Lord, you are just trying to protect the Time La..."

"You are the Minyan."

Aleena turned pale as the Doctor named her people correctly. When he took a step towards her she panicked. Whipping around she bolted into the adjoining room and ran to the door. When the door didn't open for her she pounded on it for moment before going to the intercom panel.

"Ithican!" Aleena cried. "Help!"

"Aleena, there is no point I've cut off all communications, in fact I've sealed this whole area off physically as well. It's just you and me." The Doctor said as he joined her in the room. "You're going to have to deal with me alone."

"So be it!" Aleena snarled.

Aleena went to launch herself across the room towards the table where she had placed the Vale Blade. The Doctor didn't know her goal but he lashed out to stop her anyway. Catching Aleena around the waist he pulled her in tight to keep her from escaping. Twisting around in his grip to face him Aleena struggled bitterly to free herself.

"Easy, calm down, it's okay," the Doctor soothed "I'm not going to hurt you, but I'm not going to let you hurt me again either. Understood? Please, just liste..."

"Let me go!" Aleena screamed. "Help! Help me! Ithican!"

"I am the only one who can help you, and I want to help you, I want to understand..."

"No!"

Aleena continued to fight against the Doctor for her freedom. When she pressed her marked palm against the Doctor's chest she won it. The pattern on the Doctor's skin reacted violently to the ones in Aleena's hand and lanced a breathtaking pain through his chest. The Doctor cried out and reflexively relinquished his hold on his captive. Not expecting to be suddenly released Aleena fell back to the floor.

Sitting up she scrambled back as quickly as she could, expecting the Doctor to be on her again. However he had problems of his own. Dropped to his knees the Doctor was gripping his shirt over his heart as he struggled to get back to his feet. Aleena wasted no time in retrieving the Vale Blade and once in hand she turned ready for a fight.

However she had no challenger to face. The Doctor had lost his battle to stand and was laying on his side labouring for breath with his hand still pressed against his chest. Suspecting a trap Aleena just watched him at a distance. Growling in pain the Doctor looked up at Aleena, catching sight of the dagger in her hand his eyes widened. He tried to speak but failed, taking a deep breath he concentrated harder on speaking.

"The dagger...you can help Amy..." the Doctor gasped.

"Amy? The Time Lady?"

"No, Amy...use the Vale Blade...re...remove my influence from her...please, help her..."

"She is a Time Lady the Blade can only kill her."

"No, she is human...my Companion. Save her...please..."

"You're lying...this...this is a trick..." Aleena said without much confidence. "You are trying to get me to return her heart by sinking the Blade into her."

"The heart is mine...and it's killing her."

The Doctor closed his eyes to take a moment to gather the strength to roll over onto his back. He reach up with heavily trembling hands and tore open his shirt to reveal the complex pattern that was starting to turn gold and glow. Unlike the slight pink that swirls that marked Amy's skin Aleena could see where these raised marks radiated from two distinct points of origin that would have marked the placement of the twin daggers.

"That...that shouldn't have happen." Aleena said fearfully even though she stepped closer.

"None of this should have happened..."

Aleena reared back as gentle gold glow turned to a powerful white flash. The Doctor arched his back and cried out piercingly before falling silent and dark again. Aleena stayed motionless as the Doctor laid motionless and apparently dead on the floor. She jolted with fright when he drew a sharp breath and began moaning quietly as though in pain but too weary to properly express it.

"Doc...Doctor?" Aleena asked in sudden concern. "Wait...how do I know you're called that?"

A knot had firmly tied itself in Aleena's stomach long ago and now it was making her increasingly sick. Putting the Blade down she cautiously approached the prone Time Lord. Locked in his unnatural sleep the Doctor continued to shudder and mewl in torment. It didn't take Aleena more than a moment to guess that he had been telling the truth and was currently suffering from some after effect of Jackles' experiments.

Kneeling down next to the Doctor Aleena studied the marks that now looked like ordinary scars once more. Confused she reached out and traced her finger tip along one of them. The mark she touched responded to her and turned gold for a moment before settling back down. When the Doctor cried out in pain she automatically put her palm against his chest to settle him.

Aleena yelped and jerked her hand back as a searing pain lanced up her arm. She turned her hand over and scrambled back in terror when she saw that her marks were now glowing gold just as the Doctor's had. Aleena tried to run to the door to call for help again, but she didn't make it more than a few steps before the marks flashed white and dropped her to the floor as well.

Waking in the past she seamlessly accepted her new environment. Aleena used the teleporter to take herself from the bridge directly to Jackles' lab. Since only herself and Jackles had teleport access to the lab he was not used to visitors and jumped in fright as she arrived.

"Lady Aleena, you startl..."

"We have him. Are you ready?"

"Yes, but..." Jackles hesitated.

"But what?"

"I'm having seconds thoughts about all this."

"Second thoughts?" Aleena repeated confused. "You think your theories are not sound?"

"They are sound."

"Then why do you hesitate?"

"Because what we are about to put this man through...it...it will be agony on a scale that can not truly be comprehended. The galvanic radiation tears at every cell, the nervous sys..."

"He not a man, he is a Time Lord." Aleena growled. "So don't waste your pity on him."

"I can't help it. I have spent so long on the science that I never took the time to think of the morality until now, this is worse than torture...at least when you torture someone there is something they can say to make it stop, some truth you want, but here there will be nothing he can do since what we want can only be gain through time, stress, pai..."

"Fifteen thousand years and this is the first you've thought of this aspect, why is that?" Aleena asked irritated. "You should have been preparing yourself for this."

"I know, and I was in some respects, but I've obviously never met a Time Lord before, he...he is not what I expected."

"They are masters of concealing their true nature. Do not allow his foolish appearance and easy smile to trick you, Jackles."

"It is more than that. I know you hold secrets that I do not, Aleena, and I know of the atrocities brought on the Universe by the Time Lords. But can one individual ever be held accountable for the acts of an entire race with out any evidence of participation in a crime?"

"Who said anything about holding him accountable?" Aleena asked seriously. "This isn't about crime and punishment, this is about doing what we *must* to survive. One will die, generations will live."

"True, but..."

"If this could be done painlessly, but he would still perish, would you still have these same reservations?"

"No." Jackles admitted.

"Then why should his suffering change anything?"

"I just can't imagine him as a threat." Jackles said timidly. "He seemed just casually curious about us, friendly even..."

"He would have figured out who we are given more time, and then he would have turned on us!"

"Are you sure? It has been such a long time since our war with the Time Lords started, maybe we should try speakin.."

"You would only hear lies!" Aleena snapped angrily. "His arrogance led him to believe that we could not over power him, and now that he finds himself in danger he seeks to use his silver tongue to save his skin."

"But..."

"Do not argue with me. If you understood, if you knew half the danger we were in just having him aboard this ship you would not prattle at me so! Now is everything ready or not?"

"The lab is ready." Jackles conceded with a sigh.

Aleena didn't give Jackles any more time to argue and activated the teleport to take them down to where Ithican was guarding the Time Lord. Standing outside a heavy metal door Ithican was not surprised by his Lady's appearance and bowed deeply to her. Aleena smiled affectionally and return the gesture with a slight curtsy of her own.

"We will take over from here, Master Ithican. Thank you."

"M'lady?"

"You may go."

"He is subdued and restrained, but remains dangerous. I should stay with you."

"This is not the first Time Lord I have slain." Aleena lied. "I will be fine."

"Of course, M'lady." Ithican bowed once again and disappeared with a flash from the teleport.

"Is that true?" Jackles asked. "Have you killed a Time Lord before?"

"That is none of your concern."

"I apologize."

Aleena used her biosignature to open the cell that she and Jackles had specifically designed for this day. The lights flickered to life inside as the door slid open. Aleena was irritated to hear Jackles gasp and regretted the fact that he had met this creature when he'd first appeared on the ship, back before they had discovered what he was. The two both having science and curiosity in common had quickly made a connection with one another.

Laying on his side with his wrists and ankles bound with ion bands the Time Lord was still unconscious. Blood was dried to the side of his face from a gash at his temple and fresh blood dripped from his parted lips. Aleena had worried that Ithican would be a little too aggressive when he had finally been given the permission to take the Time Lord into custody and she had been right. She was just grateful that he hadn't forced the Time Lord into regenerating already.

"Pathetic." Aleena hissed. "You just have to get them away from their technology and they are instantly no longer the gods they pretend to be."

"He certainly doesn't seem dangerous." Jackles lamented.

"That's only because you can't see into his mind, that's where the danger lays."

Jackles just nodded as he stepped closer. The Doctor was breathing heavily in an irregular pattern as he struggled to regain consciousness. Jackles knelt down next to the Doctor and gently pressed the back of his hand against the Doctor's cheek to try to bring him to the surface. The Doctor opened his eyes briefly but didn't seem to be able to focus them. He fought hard to stay awake, but it was only seconds before he passed out again. Jackles stared at the Doctor for a moment before he got back to his feet and went back to Aleena.

"Can we start now, or does he need to regain consciousness first?" Aleena asked.

"Aleena, we can't do this...not to this one."

"Why not?"

"He...he's so young..."

"Jackles, we've already had this argument." Aleena sighed. "This is the Time Lord you are going to have to work with. We don't have another fifteen thousand years to find another one. You have no idea how lucky we were to come by him as it is."

"It's been so long since we've seen one...maybe the Time Lords have forgiven us? Maybe there is no danger in accepting his offer to talk."

"It is not a matter of forgiveness, Jackles. As long as we are in the Age Lock we are a threat to the Time Lords. If we can reverse it, only then will they no longer hunt us. Until that time even this Time Lord will murder us all if he figures out who we are."

Jackles looked down at the senseless Doctor drooling blood onto the metal floor and shook his head sadly. Aleena could see from his expression that Jackles did not have the same enthusiasm for this project that he had back when it was still just a theory. Despite working closely with him over the years she had no idea how to run the device he'd created. Aleena put her hand on Jackles' shoulder.

"Don't loose your resolve on me now, Old Friend. I need you on this, we all do. Don't let fifteen thousand years worth of work go to waste."

"I know it is not my right to know this," Jackles said quietly "but it will help me through the trials to come if I know why we are such a threat to him. Why will he kills us? What are we to the Time Lords?"

"We are evidence. The only evidence of a horrific crime that would finally bring the Galactic Alliance down on Gallifrey and the Time Lords, and they will do anything to rid the Universe of us."

"If we are evidence why don't we go to the Alliance ourselves? We could get help."

"The Time Lords are too powerful, you know that. If we step from the shadows for even a moment we will be erased by them. They have already convinced the Shadow Proclamation and the Alliance that we destroyed ourselves and our own world in the Civil War."

"We were at war with ourselves?"

"Jackles, you must do this." Aleena redirected. "We will never have justice, but we can have peace. If the Age Lock is removed we can find a planet, and get off this damnable cursed ship. We can start fresh, settle down, start a technology free civilization on the edge of some undeveloped galaxy that the Time Lords can't be bothered to care about. Think of it, our children can finally know the joy of living and their parents can finally have the peace of dying. And the only cost is one soul."

"Yes, but..."

"And the cost might not even be that high."

"What do you mean? You'll let him go if he survives?"

"Certainly not. I mean I'm not fully convinced that Time Lords have souls."

"You can't mean that. Just look at him."

"He looks pathetic now the same way a shark looks helpless when stranded on the beach, place him back in the water and none will deny that you are dealing with a merciless killing machine. Trust me."

"I do trust you."

"Then continue without hesitation and become a hero. You have worked so hard, sacrificed so much, suffered for so long. I have faith in you. You are the only one who can save us, Dr. Jackles."

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my long life."

"But what if..."

"Think of your daughter." Aleena interrupted. "Think of all the children who will never be born if our children can not grow to have ones of their own. We can't stop now, we are so close to freedom."

"Just the one soul...maybe not even that...not such a high cost at all is it?" Jackles nodded slowly. "He is just a Time Lord after all...right?"

"Exactly, and there are thousands more just like him, millions in fact. A whole planet of them."

"True..."

"The Universe will never miss one less Time Lord."


	30. Chapter 30

NOTE: I hope this chapter works. I'm stitching together: Classic Who TV: Underworld, Classic Who Novel: The Inquiry (good synopsis can be found at the TARDIS wiki), and my own story into one plot line. If you don't know Underworld or The Inquiry that should be fine I explain everything, but if you do know both hopefully it would be more fun. I took some serious liberties with both since there were holes in both that I've tried to fill here. Doctor Who *loves* continuity flaws! giggle.

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Chapter reversible

The Doctor woke violently with his back arched nearly to the breaking point. Clawing at the soft carpet of the stateroom floor he cried out breathlessly. Disoriented by the unusual spell brought on by Aleena's touch the Doctor's heart raced painfully. Slowly realizing he was back in the present world he worked on getting his rebelling muscles under control before he worried too much about his muddled thoughts. Managing to get his back relaxed enough to lay flat on the floor he spent the next few minutes working on not hyperventilating.

Eventually calming himself it suddenly became difficult to not fall asleep. The irritating hunger gnawing at him helped keep him awake and for the first time he was grateful for it. Having been prepared for one of these attacks the Doctor reached into his side pocket and pulled out a small silver flask. Not bothering to sit up he unscrewed the cap and hastily drained the sugary contents.

"Really is good stuff." The Doctor purred. "Right then...sorry about that. What were we talking about? Hello?"

Finally gathering the strength to sit up the Doctor was surprised to find Aleena passed out on the floor a few feet away. After a few failed attempts the Doctor got to his own feet. Walking over to her and pulled out the sonic to run a quick scan. Reading the sonic he knit his brow together in concern before looking down on Aleena.

"You poor thing." The Doctor sighed. "Amy thinks I'm a nutter for wanting to help you, but at least now I've got a better idea as to why I've been so determined. Still..."

The Doctor headed into the bedroom to check on Amy. She was still unconscious and the Doctor feared that wasn't going to change any time soon. The energy weapon they'd used to knock her out had not reacted well to the excess Time Lord energy already running hot in her veins. The Doctor smoothed out her hair before picking up the ion cuffs he'd removed from her off the night stand.

"Need to borrow these."

Heading back out to the stateroom the Doctor carefully picked Aleena up and moved her over to the couch near the large window. He felt guilty about binding her wrists despite that fact that his own tended to ache when he looked at either her or Jackles telling him he'd probably spent most of his time in their company similarly restrained. Turning over her hand he caught sight of the spiral pattern etched into her palm.

"Brings a new meaning to being caught red handed I suppose." The Doctor continued to talk to himself. "Sorry about the cuffs, but you are a difficult one, prone to, well, prone to trying to kill me."

Backing away from Aleena the Doctor looked around while he waited for her to wake. When he caught sight of the discarded Vale Blade on the floor he walked up to it cautiously. He had touched them when pulling them out of his chest, but he had a feeling that now that they were out that they might not be so keen to be touched by him again. Kneeling down he slowly reached out to pick it up. When he was a few centimeters from the blade the carvings in the handle started to glow.

"That's not going to work. Makes sense that they'd have a fail-safe against the victim using them to restore themselves." The Doctor sighed not daring to pick the blade up. "That's what I'd do if I made one. I hate clever people sometimes."

With the pattern in his skin suddenly becoming uncomfortable once again the Doctor pulled his hand away and stood back up. Looking around once more he briefly noticed the sliver of Gallifrey that could be seen out the window. That was another issue he didn't want to think about right now, this far back in the past if he couldn't find a way to get the whole ship back into its own present he was going to have to find some place they could be that wasn't going to disrupt all of history, and circling prehistoric Gallifrey certainly wasn't that place. Turning around the Doctor noticed the large locked cabinet for the first time.

"Ooo...a locked box, I do love a locked box."

After making sure Aleena was still senseless the Doctor crossed over to the cabinet. It didn't take more than a quick use of the sonic to override the biosignature lock. Opening the double doors the Doctor was instantly impressed. The top two shelves were all ancient books, however they were not what caught the Doctor's attention first. It was the massive collection of Time Lord inventions and devices that demanded respect.

"You have been doing your homework, Aleena."

The Doctor reached out and picked up a small gold box with silver rods protruding from it covered in Gallifreyan writing. He hadn't seen one in hundreds years, mostly because he hadn't bothered looking through his own cabinets for his own, however they were still amazingly rare. Putting it back down he ran his hands over the other antiques until he came across an outdated sonic screwdriver. Picking up the small sonic he clicked on the blue light.

"Still works, that's Time Lord technology for you." The Doctor smiled sadly.

Rummaging through the rest of the devices the Doctor marveled at the fact that Aleena hadn't destroyed the Universe long ago. She certainly had the means to do it, a few of the objects in her cabinet had the ability to cause suns to super nova, others held power that made a super nova look like a fire works display. Turning his attention to the books the Doctor's blood turned to ice as he read the bold golden gilded title of the largest leather bound book.

"No...it can't be..." The Doctor breathed in disbelief. "How do you end up with the one book in the Universe that I have never been able to find a copy of?"

The Doctor reached up with a shaky hand to bring down the book marked 'The Valeyard'. Before he could reach the leather tomb Aleena woke with a shrill cry. Nearly jumping out of his own skin the Doctor whipped around to deal with Aleena. Having found herself bound at the wrist she had jumped to her feet and backed herself up against the floor to ceiling window.

"Please don't panic," the Doctor said placing himself between her and the dagger on the floor "I'm still not going to hurt you."

"Ithican!" Aleena cried towards the locked door. "Ithican, save as many as you can from slaughter! Run!"

"Aleena, stop it, I'm not going to slaughter anyone. Look at me, please, you need to calm down if we are going to get anywhere. I know you're scared, but no one is going to touch you."

Still backed up against the glass Aleena took another breath to scream again as she tugged desperately at the ion cuffs. Sighing in defeat the Doctor used the sonic to release the cuffs. There was no point in having her restrained if she wasn't going to be able to calm down. With her hands free Aleena's first instinct was to bolt, but instead she forced herself to face the Doctor.

"That's better." The Doctor smiled warmly. "I don't think we've been properly introduced: I'm the Doctor, I'm here to help."

"You can not help," Aleena said wearily as tears slipped down her face "even if by some miracle you are the one Time Lord with mercy the others will still have us killed now that we are found."

"Aleena, there are no others. I'm the last."

"Wha...what? No, no, that's not true, it can't be..."

"How long have you and your people been running from the Time Lords?"

"Over two hundred thousand years."

"In all that time, how many Time Lords have you come across?"

Aleena didn't answer right away, she just stared at the Doctor.

"How many?"

"We...we were hiding..." Aleena stuttered.

"Okay, fine, I accept that. However Jackles told me that you started looking for one for your experiment. Don't you think it a little odd that it not only took fifteen thousand years to find one, but that I kinda of found you instead?"

"You didn't find us," Aleena admitted "we lured you here."

"Did you? How?"

"TARDIS Yardlin Field Disruptor."

"Nice." The Doctor said truly impressed. "As far as I know only one Time Lord had one of those, and he was fabled to have lost it long ago. Well, some say 'lost', other say 'destroyed', most report 'stolen', exquisitely rare much like Vale Blades. In any case it was said the Yardlin could capture a TARDIS trying to land within a five million year time frame and fifty million light year radius. How long until I came within reach?"

"Ten...maybe eleven thousand years." Aleena admitted quietly.

"Still think there is more than just me out there?" The Doctor asked gently. "Time Lords love to travel, if we were still out there it wouldn't have taken so long."

"What happened?"

"You have a lot of Time Lord knowledge from you books here, but it's all outdated. You're book collection is impressive, but it is missing the one about the Last Great Time War."

Aleena gasped sharply and looked over at her open cabinet. Seeing that it had been opened she began to panic once again. The Doctor put his hands up peacefully to show that he wasn't angry about the collection. Like a child that had been caught with a stolen toy Aleena stared at the floor in shame.

"Aleena, where did you get all this stuff?"

"Various places over the years." Aleena replied vaguely.

"Now see, I don't believe that." The Doctor said gently. "There are two kinds of Time Lord items here: valuable and personal. The valuable stuff is exceedingly rare, but it's out there. However the personal ones, that's a different story, they are near impossible to get. Particularly when you consider that these ones are all the personal effects of a single Time Lord."

"I didn't kill him." Aleena said quickly.

"I didn't say you did."

"Well that's the conclusion the rest of Gallifrey came to." Aleena growled darkly. "They executed my entire planet without a trial because a Time Lord died there!"

"Tell me more."

Aleena shook her head stubbornly as she began to tremble. The Doctor took the chance of stepping closer. Once again Aleena tensed and looked for a place to bolt to, but when she saw that she was trapped she dropped to her knees and bowed her head in defeat. The Doctor came up and knelt down in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Aleena..."

"It...it was my fault." Aleena admitted miserably. "I didn't kill him, but I let him die, the Time Lord died because of me and my whole world paid the price. They are all dead because of me...a whole world gone because of my decision."

"Tell me about the Time Lord that died on your world."

"His name was Samaricus. He just appeared one day out of nowhere, there hadn't been a Time Lord on Minyos in hundreds of thousands of years. As I'm sure you know your people had come to ours when we were in our infancy, given us technology before we were ready, made yourselves gods over us, and in time we had cast you out because of it."

"The Minyans changed how Time Lords interact with other species forever. We never meant for things to go so wrong. A civil war eventually broke out on Minyos, right?"

"There was a growing separation between the elite and the lower class. The elite were using Time Lord technology to live for thousands of years, cheating death. The West in particularly was interested in continuing with the use of the technology the Time Lords had given us. However my people in the East wanted to return to normal life spans, to simpler ways. This gave rise to issue of morality, population control, power struggles, religious over tones, and other quarrels that even I don't remember anymore. Civil war was coming and small fights had broken out several times at the borders, but nothing that was tearing us apart yet. Then he came."

"Samaricus?" The Doctor prompted when Aleena didn't continue.

"Yes. He was sick, gravely ill. He had a large case of books and devices, everything you see in the cabinet there, with him but nothing else. He asked for sanctuary, but when I saw him cough up golden blood like the 'gods of old' I told him to leave. But at that point it was too late, he collapsed to the palace floor."

"He died, just like that?" The Doctor asked confused.

"No. Not right away." Aleena sighed. "He languished for weeks, delirious with fever, mad with pain, his whole frame would shake and shift as his sickness took him. We did all we could, but nothing helped. At first he never mentioned wanting help from other Time Lords."

"From the stuff he was carrying around I'm fairly certain he was thief and a black market dealer." The Doctor explained. "That's why he needed sanctuary."

"Well, nearer the end he begged to be allowed to call for help from Gallifrey, but I could not allow it to be known that I was habouring, let alone helping a Time Lord. We were already on the brink of war with the West over their accepting Time Lord interference in the first place. If they learned that we were calling to Gallifrey they would assume we were forming an alliance and attack. The Time Lord died the next day."

"It sounds like Samaricus didn't regenerate properly. So he died on your planet, that doesn't explain why the planet was destroyed. What did you do with his body?"

"We burned it. We knew from stories that great power could be drawn from the body of a Time Lord and we already feared retribution for letting him die. So we tried to cover our crime. We burned the body and storied his treasures in the vault since we did not know how to destroy the devices."

"But it didn't end there."

"A month later tensions with the West had grown worse. Through a spy it was learned that an important Time Lord had arrived in the West. What could they want other than Samaricus or information about him? I had no means to contact Gallifrey to explain myself, the West would surely turn us over to them as they already wished to continue on their path to becoming more like Time Lords themselves. Terrified of retribution we gathered all the people we could and we fled. It took us a few weeks to organize. The day we were leaving the world, hours after we were on this ship Minyos was destroyed by a shockwave that threw us deep into space and also placed the Age Lock on us."

"A shockwave with time implications..." The Doctor muttered to himself.

"This was not the only ship, there were five. However, this was the only to make it away intact." Aleena continued, not listening to the Doctor. "The Time Lord's vengeance was absolute. They even had the gall to rewrite the history books, to tell the Universe that the Minyan people destroyed each other through the foolishness of nuclear war."

"Is that why you don't want people knowing who they are?"

"Yes. The humiliation is too great." Aleena confirmed. "Across time and space the Minyan people are now used as an example for the folly of civil war, a tale of what happens when you give children fire. We are mocked and ridiculed for our stupidity in destroying our own world when in truth that was simply the last insult the Time Lords placed on us."

"For that I am truly sorry." The Doctor said seriously. "Do you happen to know the second Time Lord's name? The one visiting the West?"

"I do. It was a Time Lady actually, and not just anyone. It was Romana herself."

"Romana?" The Doctor repeated in shock. "What was Romana doing on Minyos?"

"Threatening us with destruction." Aleena whispered in horror.

"No...no, warning you. She knew. She knew that Minyos was going to be destroyed." The Doctor pieced together. "She must have gone back in time to warn a Minyan delegation of the coming destruction. That's how the two ships with the Race Banks escaped the destruction, they had fore knowledge of the apocalypse."

"Race Banks?"

"A long time ago I met another set of Minyans, they must have been from the West. They used mechanical Regeneration Fields to prolong their lives. They were on a journey to start a new Minyos using a DNA Race Bank. I always wondered how they escaped the destruction of Minyos, but it's clear now that it's because Romana told them to go."

"Why would she come only to save a few?"

"Because she couldn't save you all."

"Then why try to save any of us?!" Aleena demanded in a sudden flare of anger. "Since when does the President of Gallifrey personally come back in time to a world on the brink of disaster and warn them?"

"Never. It would be a grave violation of Time Law. There is only one explanation as to why Romana would have been there, and even then she would have been pushing the boundaries of conduct. In fact, oh, clever, clever girl! She must have implanted the memory of the planet's destruction by Civil War into the minds of those she saved to cover her tracks as well protect the Minyans on the ship from being hunted just as you feared! There must have been a tremendous cover up, some event that had to happen, some reason Minyos was destroyed that the High Council kept secret, an accident with some technology we shouldn't have been fooling with, or a paradox that needed resolving, something that meant saving more lives than it took..."

"Lies upon lies! Is deceit all the Time Lords understand?"

"Some of them." The Doctor admitted. "However Romana was not among those, she was one of the best my world had to offer. She would have been risking execution to save a handful of the Minyans and their Race Bank."

"What would have lead her to do that?"

"She must have known the about the event that lead to Minyos being lost and known that the Time Lords were at fault. She couldn't stop what was going to happen to the planet, but she could save your species from extinction."

"So..." Aleena said icily "you freely admit that the Time Lords are guilty for the destruction of our world?"

"I do."

"Then Minyos deserves justice! Billions of lives were lost!"

"I'm sorry that I can not offer you justice."

"Then do what Romana would not!"

"Aleena, I know what you're thinking and I can't." The Doctor said sadly. "There is nothing I can do to save the planet of Minyos. Even if given back both my hearts, I can not change history in such a drastic way. Particularly not history that involves the Time Lords in ways that I do not understand, it is a fixed point."

"Please..." Aleena whimpered. "If the Time Lords know what they did was wrong, if Romana herself regretted the death of our race, if you have the power to travel through time and space, if you know that billions of lives are lost and thousands more suffer unspeakably...why can't you go back and change it? Please, you can make it so none of this has to have ever happened..."

"I really can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not a God."

"Of course you are!" Aleena snapped angrily. "You can do whatever you want! Particularly now that you are the last Time Lord! That means there is no Time Lord High Council to stop you, no being that is your equal to keep you from obtaining anything you desire through all of time and space! You can see all that is, was, and can be! You have it in your grasp to have the entire Universe as you want it!"

"Aleena, if any of that were true do you think I would have ended up here?"

"What?"

"You think I'm All Powerful? What is your evidence of that?"

"Just look at all you can do..."

"Parlour tricks, worthless parlour tricks. I couldn't save my own people in the past. I can't save my own friend now." The Doctor raked his hands through his hair as he became increasingly anxious about Amy. "You say I know everything that's going to happen or could happen? That means I foresaw this fate, this *nightmare*. That means I knew before I stepped foot on this ship that I would be tattered and torn by Jackles, I knew the people I love would suffer and die because of me, I knew that I would lose everything coming here and yet I chose *not* to avoid this of my own free will. Is that what you believe? Because if you do believe that...then you are far more insane than I feared and beyond all hope of help."

Aleena cowered against the glass window at the sudden darkness in the Doctor's tone.

"Well?" The Doctor demanded. "Do you believe that?"

"No." Aleena whispered. "You would not. I...I...I don't know why I couldn't see that before..."

"You were blinded by two hundred thousand years of fear, rage, grief, and pain." The Doctor sighed.

"Can you ever forgive me, Time Lord?"

"Save Amy, release Rory, help reverse what you have done to me, return the Time Lord devices to me, let me help you free your people, and then my forgiveness will be yours, Minyan Lady."

"Your forgiveness will not be easily won." Aleena smiled shyly.

"In all fairness you did try to kill me." The Doctor chuckled.

"And worse." Aleena admitted. "I do not deserve the second chance, I do not deserve any of your kindness or mercy."

"Honestly, it's not entirely for you."

"Who is for?"

"I don't think you're ready to hear the answer to that yet."


	31. Chapter 31

NOTE: The Doctor is not going to want to play with me after this chapter. Not that I blame him. Giggle.

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Chapter Thirty-one

"I can't do this if you're going to make that face."

"What do you women expect of me?" The Doctor demanded in an exasperated tone. "You and Amy want me to just stand still and let you stab me in the chest without cringing? Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not that brave."

"You are plenty brave, Doctor, it's just you look so...so..." Aleena looked for the right word.

"Don't say 'pathetic'." The Doctor growled.

"I was trying not to."

"Can you do this or not? I'm sure if I bring Ithican in here he'll be more than happy to run me through."

"He wouldn't stop until you were gutted." Aleena said seriously. "Besides there is no telling what will happen to him."

Aleena glanced at the marks in her palm, she didn't want Ithican to end up with similar scars. She switched the Vale Blade into her right hand with the pattern causing the carvings in the hilt to glow gently. She gripped the cold metal tighter and took a deep breath, but she couldn't bring herself to raise it up to use against the Doctor. Seeing that Aleena was having more trouble with this than he was the Doctor sighed. He glanced through the doorway into the bedroom where Amy was panting in her sleep as her fever continued to rise.

"Aleena, please, we have to hurry." The Doctor said as he held his shirt open for her. "Amy is running out of time."

"What if it doesn't work?" Aleena fretted. "This isn't supposed to be done like this, we only have the one Blade, there is no mention in the book about that pattern, you're already biologically unstab..."

"Amy is dying, and I can't let that happen, I won't let it happen. We do not have time to find the other Blade so that we can do this right, even if there is a way to do it 'right' with me after all Jackles did to me, this is our best chance, and not just for Amy but for everyone."

"Everyone?"

"I hate to admit it, but I'm rubbish as 'mostly' human, I've only gotten this far with the help of the Time Lord energy in Amy. I won't be able to do anything about the Age Lock as I am." The Doctor explained to her urgently. "Even if the one blade doesn't give me my full power back it is better than what I am now."

"Will you be able to help her as a hybrid?"

"I don't have to do anything. The Blade can cure Amy, but only if the 'charge' is taken out of it first. Unless you are still interested in taking on the Time Lord energy it holds I have to. So let's do this, remember it's important that you sink it in all the way to the hilt, so use all your strength. One powerful thrust will be a lot less painful for me than if you hesitate."

"If you die..."

"It won't be in vain. The Blade will still discharge and you can use it to save her."

"Doctor there has to be another wa..."

The Doctor suddenly lashed out and grabbed Aleena by the wrist that held the blade. She automatically tried to pull away but he jerked her violently closer. Gasping sharply the Doctor tensed and spasmodically tightened his grip on her wrist as he lanced the icy blade into his own chest. Blood rose to the back of his throat but he ignored it. The Doctor had been hoping to drive the weapon it to the hilt on the first try, but his survival instincts that told him to avoid impaling himself had left the job half done.

"Doctor!" Aleena cried.

Trembling the Doctor tried once again to use his hold on Aleena's wrist to drive the blade the rest of the way without any success. Terrified Aleena brought her other hand up onto to the knife handle as well to help steady it. The Doctor reached up and took a hold of her other wrist and yanked on them to sink the silver blade deeper. Even with both hands he couldn't move the embedded dagger. As the pain gave way to panic the Doctor realized he wasn't going to be able to do this alone.

"He...help me." The Doctor gasped. "Push..."

"I...I can't..."

"Please..."

Aleena was frozen in place as hot blood ran down the dagger from the wound and soaked her hands. Weakening the Doctor released his hold on her wrists and put his hands up on her shoulders for support to keep from falling to the floor. The Doctor looked to Aleena desperately in a silent plea for help. Aleena fought to find the courage to finish what he'd started.

"I'm sorry." Aleena whispered.

Finally crying out the Doctor weld his eyes shut and dug his fingers into her shoulders as Aleena suddenly drove the blade deeper for him. With curved dagger buried into his flesh just below his sternum she was able to avoid having to force it through any bone, but the dagger stubbornly resisted being put fully into place and became stuck. Aleena looked down at the dagger that still had a few inches showing. The blade was glowing, but the carvings in the hilt were not reacting properly.

"It's not working..."

The Doctor had a hard time disagreeing. Unable to stay standing the Doctor collapsed to his knees. Aleena followed him down keeping a tight hold on the hilt. Aleena was shaking like a leaf in a spring storm as the Doctor's hands slipped from her shoulders. Losing focus he slumped forward and rested his forehead against her as he laboured for breath. Feeling him losing his strength Aleena hesitated to injure him further fearing he was about to die at her hand.

"Wha...what do I do?"

The Doctor reminded her of their goal by reaching up and taking her wrist once more and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Realizing there was no turning back Aleena took a deep breath and put all of her strength into forcing the dagger in the last few inches. The Doctor convulsed sickenly as the knife broke free of the resistance that it had come across and suddenly sank in to the hilt. The instant blade was fully buried in the Doctor's chest the carvings in the handle sparked to life.

With the dagger working and the pattern tattooed into into his skin turning to gold the Doctor pushed Aleena away. The Doctor pitched forward and retched a combination of crimson blood and gold dust onto the white carpet. Lowering himself to the floor he rolled over onto his back and laid there struggling for each shallow breath. Unsure of what else to do Aleena just watched in fascination as the lines and spirals on the Doctor's ribs glowed a brilliant gold before sinking into his flesh and disappearing. The patterned scars on the left side of his chest had turned gold but hadn't disappeared like the other set. When the dagger and his skin went dark again the Doctor was left with with half the amount of scars as before.

No longer worried about touching the blade the Doctor reached up and gripped the handle. He ground his teeth together and yanked the dagger out. The knife came free with a small trail of gold that instantly healed the gaping hole that had been left in the Doctor's bloodied chest. Releasing the dagger the Doctor laid on the floor breathing heavily.

"Doctor?" Aleena asked worried.

"I am *not* looking forward to doing that again." The Doctor groaned.

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"The blue...on your hands."

"Blue?"

Still laying on his back the Doctor brought his hands up to inspect them. Seeing the slight blue glowing cast to them he sat bolt upright. The blue cast had disappeared but the Doctor continued to stare at his hands in concern. He turned his palms to face one another and held them a few inches apart. The blue returned more intense than before and a small white lighting bolt suddenly snapped inside the space between his palms. Surprised the Doctor jolted and closed his hands into fists to break the connection.

"Doctor?!" Aleena cried in shock. "What was that?!"

"Uh...nothing, nothing at all." The Doctor said unconvincingly. "Perfect normal."

"That was not normal!"

"It's nothing to worry about." The Doctor insisted as he opened his hands again and repeated the miniature lighting storm.

"Are you sure about that?"

The Doctor didn't respond, he was lost in thought as he rubbed his fingertips together causing small sparks. When his hands started to glow blue again he scrambled to his feet and ran over to the cabinet where Aleena kept her Time Lord collection. He tore through the devices and trinkets before making a noise of triumph. Taking out a pair of copper bracelets about two inches wide and engraved with circular Gallifreyan symbols he slipped one on each wrist.

The Doctor grabbed the old sonic from the closet as well and used it on the bracelets for a moment before taking the sonic and breaking it open. Aleena kept her distance but she watched his every move as he took the two inch blue crystal out of the broken sonic. He pulled down one of the books that was bound with a leather lacing trim and yanked a length of the leather cord out of it. Wrapping a few loops of the leather around the crystal to keep it secure he use the rest of the cord to make a necklace and tied the crystal around his neck. The Doctor held his palms up to one another again, only this time instead of a lighting bolt all that happened was the crystal around his neck glowed a soft blue.

"There we go. All better." The Doctor smiled brightly. "Now then, Amy."

"Doctor, what's happening to you?" Aleena asked worried.

"Just a little excess energy, nothing I can't keep contained." The Doctor said casually. "Go wash your hands, Amy already has a bad first impression of you, I will never convince her that we're all on the same side if you're covered in my blood. Speaking of which, I can't be wearing this either."

The Doctor shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on the couch before slipping his suspenders off his shoulders and letting them hang from their snaps at his waist band. He searched through his jacket pocket and retrived his sonic and tucked it in his belt. He pulled off the ruined blood stained white button down shirt and looked around for a place to discard it. Turning around he found Aleena behind him with a damn towel and a clean white buttonless shirt.

"Thank you." The Doctor took the towel and removed the drying blood from his chest before taking the shirt which he pulled on. The white shirt had a deeply cut v-neck but it didn't seem to fit in with the female fashion of Minyos. It was also too large for Aleena. "This isn't yours, is it?"

"No." Aleena replied in a barely audible whisper.

"Ithican's?"

"Ho...how did you know?"

"He introduced himself as 'Master Ithican'. That's the highest title a male can hold on Minyos. However I get the feeling he doesn't know that."

"He and I were both going to share the burden of carrying the knowledge of who our people are. We feared placing such information in a computer seeing how good Time Lords are with technology. So the two of us were going to go without Memory Cleaning since accidents are not uncommon and we couldn't risk one erasing everything."

"So what happened?"

"He couldn't handle it. Hundred thousand years later he was barely sane, I did the only thing I could."

"Does he remember that he loves you?" The Doctor asked gently.

Reaching out and touching the collar of Ithican's shirt that the Doctor was wearing Aleena just shook her head sadly. Lost in thoughts of the past she just stared at the plain shirt, the one possession of Ithican's that she had kept in her room all these years. The Doctor put his hand under her jaw and guided her to look up at him.

"It's never too late to remind him, Aleena."

"Go save Amy." Aleena deflected. "I'll stay out here."

The Doctor leaned in and kissed Aleena's forehead affectionally. He turned away and picked up the Vale off the floor before he went into the next room where Amy was still laying in the clutches of her fever. Sitting on the edge of bed he brought her arm out from under the bed sheets. Drawing the discharged Vale Blade across her palm caused it to draw the Time Lord energy out like pulling venom from a wound. The blood in her palm turned gold and soaked into the blade before vanishing.

Amy didn't wake instantly but she did begin to breath easier. The Doctor took the slightly charged blade and tucked it into the back of his belt. He had been able to take the Perception Filter off of the blade with Aleena's help so he wasn't worried about forgetting it there. He winced slightly as the crystal around his neck suddenly glowed a little brighter before settling down again.

Keeping his hands to himself the Doctor just watched as Amy began to wake. She opened her eyes and looked up at the Doctor with a confused expression. He smiled at her as he waited for her to orient herself. Gasping sharply as she recalled everything Amy sat bolt up right and threw her arms around the Doctor in a powerful embrace. Careful to keep his hands from touching her he awkwardly returned the hug.

"What happened?" Amy asked without releasing him. "Aleena..."

"It's okay." The Doctor assured. "Take a listen."

Amy didn't understand the Doctor's instructions at first, but then it dawned on her. She nestled down so that she could put her ear against his chest. Amy closed her eyes and held her breath so that she could listen more carefully. When she heard the four beat thumping in the Doctor's chest she pulled away with excitement.

"Two heart beats!" Amy beamed. "You have two heart beats!"

"Two hearts." The Doctor smiled.

"But the second one doesn't sound right," Amy noted worried as she pressed her ear against his chest again "it's so weak and it stumbles."

"Don't worry about that."

"What about the new jewelry?" Amy pulled back and pointed to the gently glowing crystal and the copper bracelets. "Should I worry about that?"

"No."

"Why are you wearing a crystal, Doctor?"

"Why not?" The Doctor shrugged. "Crystals are cool."

"What's it really for?" Amy demanded. "That can't be your new 'bow tie'."

"The ultra-copper bracelets are acting as a organic conductor, they are actually a rare kind of Time Lord bio-damper shield, but I modified them to reconduct my cascading life force to redirect the resulting bio-electric bursts safely to the sonic hyper crystal where the energy is stored in a stable form."

"Simplify that for me, Doctor."

"The crystal keeps us safe."

"Safe from what?"

"From me."


	32. Chapter 32

NOTE: man...this chapter did not want to be written! I don't know why! It just fought me the whole way.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-two

"Oy! Open this door! Now!" Rory demanded. "Where is my wife?! She's sick, you have to let me help her! Please!"

Rory pounded on the metal door uselessly again. He had been calling out to anyone who would listen for what felt like an hour without any response. Frustrated he threw his shoulder into the door before finally giving in. Rubbing his now sore shoulder he looked around the stateroom he'd woken up alone in. Unlike some of the more utilitarian rooms on the ship this one had more of a luxury feel to it with plush furniture and art on the walls.

The back wall was made entirely of glass and gave him a spectacular view of ancient Gallifrey and the copper coloured moon Pazithi Gallifreya that was partially visible peeking out from behind the disk of the main planet. Looking out at the breath taking metallic alien moonrise over the brilliant yellow-orange tint of Gallifrey all Rory could think about was how much he missed the dull gray and white Moon as seen from his and Amy's bedroom window.

"Why couldn't we just have had normal lives?" Rory sighed.

"What fun would that be?"

Rory jolted at the sound of Amy's voice and whipped around. Rory didn't question how Amy had suddenly joined him in the room and he didn't even notice the Doctor or Aleena. Rushing up to her he threw his arms around her in a tight embrace. Before Amy could react he held her out at arm's length and started to check her for injury and then started a full vitals check.

"Down, Boy." Amy teased.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked anxiously. "What happened?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"She's okay, Rory." The Doctor assured. "No more Time Lord poisoning her or anything."

"Doctor?" Rory asked surprised.

"Didn't even see me here, did you?" The Doctor chuckled. "I keep trying to show you the vast beauty of the Universe and you still only have eyes for Amy. It's sweet really, sickeningly so at times, but cute in a human sort of way."

"Be nice, Doctor." Amy smiled.

"Doctor, why are you dressed like a hippie?" Rory asked and then looked suspiciously at Aleena. "And who are you?"

"I'm just trying out a new look, I think it's cool." The Doctor said proudly as he snapped his suspenders over the shirt he'd borrowed of Ithican's. "This is Lady Aleena, leader of the Minyas."

"The Minyas?"

"Has anyone else notices that Rory has only spoken in questions since we arrived?" The Doctor asked. "Ah well, never mind, no time for that. Let's go meet up with Jackles."

"Who's Jackles?" Rory asked. "What the hell is goin..."

Before Rory could finish yet another question the Doctor teleported all four of them down to the lab that he'd left Jackles locked in. Jackles had not been idle and was currently working to repair his damaged recording equipment. When the group suddenly arrived he yelped in surprise and scrambled back. Amy noticed that as soon as the Doctor saw Jackles the crystal around his neck flashed brighter and he jerked as though the flash had been painful.

"Jackles!" Aleena cried happily.

"Aleena," Jackles brightened instantly "you're safe, thank the stars. The Time Lord...forgive me...I...I told him everything."

"It's okay, Jackles." Aleena smiled softly. "He will help us if we help him."

Jackles and the Doctor looked at one another warily and a heavy silence fell over the room. The Doctor forced a smile but it did little to make either one of them feel more comfortable around one another. Rory cleared his throat to try and break the silence causing both the Doctor and Jackles to jolt. The crystal flashed once again and this time the Doctor tapped on one of his copper bracelets before holding it up to his ear for a moment.

"Sorry." Rory muttered.

"What were you working on when we came in?" The Doctor asked.

"I've been trying to access recordings I would have taken during...uh..." Jackles stopped and shifted his weight uncomfortably "during the experiments. I was hoping to come across something that might help."

"Have you?" The Doctor demanded. "The more I know about what happened the better. Aleena tells me she would not have dared used the Vale Blades on me unless you had gathered the regeneration energy you were after, but I haven't noticed any source of stored Time Lord energy anywhere obvious. So what have you found?"

"I...uh...I..." Jackles looked nervously over at the console. "Nothing useful."

"Nothing useful?" The Doctor repeated suspiciously. "That leads me to believe that you were able to recover something. What was it?"

"Nothing." Jackles insisted. "It's just part of an audio file, there is nothing on it that I haven't already told you."

"I want to hear it."

"I don't think that's a good idea..."

The Doctor took an aggressive move towards Jackles and the older Minyan cowered and backed away. Untucking the sonic from his belt he swept it over the console. Part of the broken console that Jackles had been working on jumped back to life and an audio journal entry of Jackles' began to play. Jackles took a breath to protest but the Doctor quickly silenced him with an icy glare. The group stood in silence and listened to the recording.

Fearing what might be on the journal Amy stepped away from Rory and stood by the Doctor's side. She didn't like how uneasy Jackles made him since she knew from experience just how difficult it was to make him nervous. The Doctor flashed Amy a grateful smile for the support. Amy tried to take his hand but he wouldn't allow it, instead he put his arm over her shoulders.

'..._oblem_.' The broken audio of Jackles started. _'The Time Lord has displayed the classic ability to control his hearts. In doing so he has found an escape by slipping into a deep coma. I expected that he would do this, in fact I hoped he would so that he could sleep through what was to come. However what I did not expect was the effect it would have, it has interrupted my work to such a degree that it basically can not continue. _

_ I have an unfortunate solution for this. Time Lords have a cluster of nerves in the left shoulder that is particularly sensitive. If placed in a position of stress with his hands pinned above his head and pressure placed on the shoulders I believe he will lose the ability to regulate his hearts rates. I have had the table readjusted to keep him in such a position. Now he will need to be woken, for that I have another distastefully solution. Ithican is bringing the Time Lord's Compa...'_

Jackles was interrupted by the sound of someone transporting in nearby and then knocking on the metal door of his lab. The audio continued as Jackles opened the door.

'_Ithican, thank yo...'_

_ 'I have brought the Companion as ordered, but I feel I must say that do not approve of abusing this already broken and brainwashed creature in anyway.' _

_ 'We can remove her memories of this afterwards.'_

_ 'That's our solution for everything isn't it?'_ Ithican growled darkly. _'Only I can't help but feel that I've lost far more than I've gained by doing that myself.'_

_ 'What?'_

_ 'Never mind. Just tell me what you want with her, Sir.'_

_ 'Wake her up. The Time Lord has entered a voluntary coma, but I believe he will respond and wake if he hears his Companion in distress.'_

_ 'I will not hurt her.'_ Ithican said firmly. _'Aleena herself will need to come down here and give me that order, I will take it from no other.'_

_ 'You won't need to harm her, she will make plenty of noise just seeing him like this, as soon as he's awake you can take her away.'_

_ 'This isn't right, Dr. Jackles. Torturing a Time Lord is one thing, traumatizing a Compa...'_

_ 'You are just a B Class, Ithican, you do not understand what is at stake here.' _ Jackles sighed. _'Please just do as ordered or I will have Aleena come here and repeat my orders to you.'_

_ 'As you wish.'_

Listing to the audio Amy found her heart racing painfully. She could hear herself groaning as though being woken too early on a Saturday morning. She glanced over at Jackles and noticed that he looked like he was about to pass out. The Doctor pulled Amy closer as her past self's voice came through on the audio. He went to turn the audio off with the sonic but was distracted by another jolt from the crystal.

"Doctor?" Amy asked anxiously.

_ 'Doctor?'_ Amy's voice from the past echoed perfectly. _'Oh my god...Doctor! What are you doing to him?! Let me go! Doctor!'_

_ 'Let her go.' _ Jackles ordered quietly.

_'I don't think that's a good ide...' _ Ithican started.

_ 'Let her go.'_ Jackles repeated.

The sensitive audio equipment had picked up Ithican's sad sigh as he released Amy. Having heard the start of the audio and now knowing that Jackles was using her Amy was angry at herself for acting just like he had wanted her to. She could imagine that as soon as she had been released that she would have run directly to the Doctor to try to help him. The Doctor reached out once again to stop the audio but Amy stopped him.

"We don't have to listen to this now, Amy." The Doctor said.

"It's okay, this might be important."

_ 'Doctor?'_ Amy on the audio whimpered. _'Please, wake up, we need you, these people are insane, I don't know what to do. Doctor? Please...'_

_ 'Pull her away.' _ Jackles ordered. _'This isn't going to work, we'll just have to kill him.'_

_ 'Kill him?' _ Ithican asked in surprise.

'_No!_' Amy cried in terror.

_'In fact, kill her and the male as well.'_

_ 'What?!'_ Ithican protested. _'Have you lost your mind?!'_

_ 'Doctor! Help me!'_

_ 'Amy?'_ The Doctor's voice joined in on the audio sounding disoriented. '_Amy...why are you here...what's happe._..' The Doctor was cut off as he screamed piercingly in agony as Jackles used the opportunity to start his experiments once more.

_ 'I thought that might work.' _ Jackles said. 'Take the Companion back to her mate, Ithican.'

_ 'No! Stop please, what are you doing? You're killing him! Doc...' _ Amy's voice suddenly dropped out as though she had been rendered unconscious again.

_'Amy?! A...Amy!' _ The Doctor managed to call before falling back into incoherent wailing.

_ 'That was a cruel trick, Jackles._' Ithican snarled.

_ 'I agree, but why should you care? You nearly killed the Time Lord with your bare hands when we discovered what he was.'_

_ 'The Time Lord is our enemy, but we should be above threatening the others who have been unfortunate enough to be in his path. She is a victim just like us, she did not deserve to be treated like that.'_

_ 'These are desperate times, Ithican.'_

_ 'We should never be that desperate.'_

The sound of Ithican transporting away with Amy was barely audible over the Doctor's continuos cries. Amy didn't do anything to stop the Doctor this time when he stopped the tape. She had thought the first time that he was stopping the recording only for her, but his trembling made her realize that he may have wanted to stop it for them both. Already under his arm Amy turned to put her arms around his waist and leaned against him.

"Are you okay, Amy?"

"No more than you are."

The Doctor managed a genuine smile and hugged her closer. This time when the crystal around his neck flashed again Amy jerked as she felt a distinct shock from the copper bracelets. Realizing that Amy had experienced the bio-electric effect as well he released her and took a step away. She took a breath to ask him what was happening but he just shook his head.

"I told you it wouldn't help." Jackles whispered miserably.

"Actually it was very informative." The Doctor replied.

"How so?" Jackles asked.

"It showed me that Ithican will make a fine leader again one day."

"Again?" Jackles looked to Aleena but she just looked away.

"Never mind that for now." The Doctor said quickly. "Did you get anything else working?"

"No. Not yet, but given some more time I think I can."

"Keep working on it. In the mean time I need to figur..."

"Doctor," Amy interrupted "your necklace..."

"Amy, please, not now."

"But..."

"It's nothing, I'm fine."

"Uh...Doctor..." Rory stepped in and took Amy's hand "Are you sure?"

"You're hands are turning blue again, Doctor." Aleena pointed out as she backed up.

The Doctor automatically brought his hands up and despite the copper bracelets a white hot bolt of lighting arced between his hands. He balled his hands into fists, but this time it didn't seem to contain the energy as well and another bolt snapped up from his hands to the crystal around his neck.

"What is that?!" Jackles cried in alarm.

"Not good, the crystal rig did not work nearly as long as I thought it would, or perhaps my heightened emotions being near you is making the cascade worse. Ummm..." The Doctor looked around desperately as his hands crackled with energy. His gaze landed on the lab console and he grimaced. "I really don't want to do that, but...no real options at this point. Everyone stand back!"

"Doctor, what's happening?" Amy asked as Rory pulled her away.

"One of three things is about to happen: another time jump, a massive paradox, or a nice pretty light show." The Doctor rattled off quickly. He ran the sonic over the console for a second, but was forced to drop it when another small bolt lashed out. "Or fourth option: I kill us all."

"Wait, what?!"

"Geronimo!" The Doctor cried as he slammed his palms down on the glass top of the console and caused an explosion of searing light.

The glass hissed and snapped as the Doctor released a powerful bolt of lightning that raced across the surface. The glass sprayed sparks as the circuits were blown by the powerful surge. When it was over the Doctor took a stumbling step back away from the melting console. He took a moment to regain his bearings before he checked his golden wrist watch.

"Okay, then, option three: pretty light show. That's good, very good. Yes. I was hoping for that one." The Doctor chuckled weakly before he turned to face the others. "That was cool, wasn't it?"

"In a...uh...in a terrifying sort of way." Rory agreed slowly.

"Doctor, are you okay?" Amy asked.

"I'm good, not as violent a discharge as I had feared. As for the console, sorry Jackles, I needed something to absorb the energy to keep from electrocuting anyone." The Doctor lamented the destruction. "If it wasn't broken beyond repair before, it certainly is now."

"It was only fifteen thousand years worth of work." Jackles sighed. "And perhaps the only key to the Age Lock."

"No, I will find the key to the Age Lock." The Doctor said confidently. "I just haven't figured out how yet, but I will. My second heart is back and although I'm not thinking quite as clearly as I used to I'm getting better. I will think of something, I'm sure of it."

"Before you blow us all up?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, I still want to know what the light show was all about." Amy demanded.

"Ah, well, I'm guessing here, but now that I've got part of my Time Lord energy back, and between Jackles regeneration experiments, the Vale Blades, whatever caused the pattern in my chest, the residual energy on this ship from whatever caused the Age Lock, and my own drive to survive, my life force is cascading out of control. As a result I've become somewhat...unstable."

"Somewhat?" Amy repeated with a raised eye brow. "That's a bit of an understatement isn't it?"

"Yeah, I suppose it it." The Doctor looked down at his now calm hands with a nervous expression. "I suppose 'dangerously unstable' is a better description."

"What are we going to do about it?"

"Champion question, Amy, it's why I keep you around." The Doctor teased. "Rory, help Jackles try and track down what might have happened to the missing regeneration energy that he collected. Amy, I need you to come back with me to the TARDIS. I need something stronger than this crystal and we need to rummage about in the library for something."

"What should I do?" Aleena asked looking lost.

"Aleena," the Doctor stepped up and took her hands in his own "you have the most critical job of all."

"You need me to find the other Vale Blade since it still has the Perception Filter on it."

"Yes, true. However, I want you to go find Ithican first."

"What? Why?"

"You know why." The Doctor smiled. "You have to remind him of something."

"Is that really a priority right now?" Aleena asked as she flushed.

"I can't think of anything more important in the entire Universe."


	33. Chapter 33

NOTE: I haven't seen the season finale yet (I watch Doctor Who on iTunes a day late) so please no asking me what I think yet! Giggle.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-three

"Ah, looks like someone is glad to see me. Hello, Honey, I'm home." The Doctor smiled at the gently glowing TARDIS console. One of the levers suddenly flicked on by itself, the Doctor reached over and flicked it back off. "Sorry, Old Girl, can't do that just yet."

"What is she trying to do?" Amy asked slightly alarmed.

"The TARDIS wants to leave, she doesn't like being this close to the Time Lock or ancient Gallifrey, the Paradox Potential is too high for her comfort. If it's one thing a TARDIS hates it a paradox. Now that she senses that I'm at least somewhat back to norm..."

The Doctor stopped suddenly as he nearly fell to his knees, lashing out he was able to catch the edge of the TARDIS controls and support himself. Amy was already at his side and put her arm around his waist to try and help keep him on his feet. The crystal flared angrily, but it was the fact that the remaining pattern in his chest had begun glowing again that alarmed Amy the most. Leaning heavily against the control panel the Doctor reached up and pressed his hand against his ribs over his right heart.

"Amy...run...get away from me!" The Doctor tried to push Amy away.

"I'm not leaving you."

"Stubborn."

"Scottish."

"Right." The Doctor managed a smiled. "I thought I'd have more time."

"What do you need me to do?"

"I should be able to stop this if I can jus..." The Doctor stopped when powerful arc of lightning snapped between the crystal and centre pillar of the TARDIS. "Amy, it's too la..."

Gripping the control panel the Doctor weld his eyes shut and ground his teeth together as the effort to contain the storm ragging within himself increased in intensity. The Doctor wanted Amy to run and tried to wave her way, but without Rory here to puller her back she ignored the danger. He jerked away from her touch fearing that he'd electrocute her, however the energy didn't arc between them.

Despite his protests Amy helped the Doctor to the dais floor as his knees finally gave out on him. The crystal was working hard to stabilize the bio-electricity but nothing was trying to keep the gold pattern glow from becoming increasingly intense. When his weak second heart went into arrest the Doctor arched back and cried out breathlessly. Unsure what to do Amy knelt next to him and pressed her palm against the golden glow over his left heart. The Doctor gasped sharply and looked up at her in a mixture of terror and rage.

"Doc..."

"Why are you doing this?!" The Doctor demanded desperately. "How did you find Amy?!"

"What? Doctor, snap out of it." Amy begged. "I'm Amy."

Amy's words had no affect on the Doctor's state of mind as he convulsed and screamed under the influence of Jackles' past abuse. Laying on the floor he brought his arms over his head and thrashed to escape imaginary restraints with a surprising lack of success. Unlike his other spells his eyes were open and when he gave up on the phantom bindings he glared up at Amy. It was instantly clear to Amy that he didn't recognize her. She had the feeling that if he didn't believe that he was pinned to the floor that he would attack her.

Before Amy could think of anything to do to help another violently spasm seized him as he spiraled into agony again. Panicking she carded one hand into his hair while keeping the other pressed against his pounding heart, she leaned her weight against him to try and calm his quickly worsening shivering. Closing his eyes tightly the Doctor screamed with several consecutive breaths before managing to regain enough control to look up at Amy again.

"Doctor, calm dow..."

"Let her go!" The Doctor snarled at Amy.

"Look around, you're not in the lab, you're in the TARDIS." Amy tried to convince the Doctor. "You're safe, I swear."

"You say she's safe, then why...why was she here?! Ri...right, right...the coma...you used her to wake me, clever...cruel and clever...dangerous combination...I'm sorry, I won't...I won't do that again...promise...I was in so much pain, I didn't know what else to do!" The Doctor rambled as he gasped for breath and fought to speak. "...let Amy go...don't hurt my friends, please! No...wait! Stop, plea..."

The Doctor was once again reduced to mindless wailing as tears streaked from the corners of his eyes. Unlike the other spells where the Doctor had just made noise this time Amy was convinced that he was actually re-experiencing his past torments. Continuing to cry out at the top of his lungs the Doctor arched his back and twisted with terrifying force. Amy jumped up and straddled the Doctor's stomach so she could sit on his hips to keep him from injuring or even possibly breaking his back during his contortions. Putting her hands on either side of his face she tried to connect with him the way she had when she had forced him asleep.

"Doctor!" Amy cried. "Someone help me! Help!"

Amy could hear one of the Minyas that was on guard outside banging on the door, but the TARDIS was not about to let him inside. The Doctor's voice cracked in an agonized shrieking as his skin dripped with sweat and gleamed gold. Barely able to see through her own tears Amy ran her hand repetitively through the Doctor's wet hair, completely lost as to what to do.

"Wake up, please, Doctor, please."

"Stop! Mercy! I...I don't think you understand what you're doing to me!" The Doctor cried bitterly. "You're tear...tearing me apart! Wha...what do you wa...want from me?! Talk to me...pleas..."

The Doctor's request for an explanation was interrupted by a forceful seizure. It didn't take Rory's medical expertise to tell Amy that this wasn't just a memory that the Doctor was reliving, the seizure was real and it was happening now. The seizure quickly passed however the sonic crystal around his neck became a more intense blue and started to squeal as it soaked up enough energy to begin vibrating.

"Doctor!" Amy shouted in alarm.

The Doctor jolted and looked up at Amy before looking down at the humming crystal. He shoved Amy back to get her off him and did his best to scramble away from her. Closing one hand around the crystal he forced himself to his feet using the console for support. When the Doctor slapped his palm against the glass cylinder that protected the centre TARDIS pillar Amy was instantly blinded by the spectacular tree of lighting that lept from the Doctor's chest and struck the pillar.

The TARDIS control panel snapped and spat sparks as the energy shattered the protective glass. The TARDIS shook violently with the sudden power surge and went dark for a moment before reseting and blinking the lights back on. When it was over the Doctor was using the console to support himself as he panted heavily for breath. Amy got to her feet and stepped closer but he held his hand up to stop her a few feet away.

"No...Amy...I'm sorry...don't touch me." The Doctor whispered hoarsely. "I can feel it building already...it's getting worse, exponentially."

"I'm not sure you can survive that again."

"I don't think any of us can, not even the TARDIS." The Doctor admitted wearily as the crystal began to glow angrily again. "I thought I could control it, I can't, I'm too broken. I'm so sorry, Amy, you have stop me."

"What? How? I can't..."

"You can." The Doctor smiled sadly. "In fact, it will be easy...just don't think about it."

"Wha..."

The Doctor reached behind his back and pulled the Vale Blade out from where he had tucked it into his belt. Before he could lose he courage he tossed the blade in the air at Amy and she automatically caught it. The subconscious directive that was still buried deep in Amy's mind took over and the urge to sink the knife into his chest seized her senses. With her mind already reeling from stress Amy had no chance to fight the strong psychic command. The Doctor closed his eyes as she raised the dagger over her head to rush at him with it.

When he was struck with a jolting sensation followed by a sense of peace the Doctor assumed that his death had been a lot quicker and easier than he'd been expecting. He had to admit that he was a little disappointed to discover that he'd remained conscious after death. He had always hoped that after death there would simply be nothing. Laying in the dark was fine for right now, but he was fairly convinced that it wasn't going to be too long before he got bored.

The fact that he also had to continue with the memory of the mess and the loved ones he'd left behind in that mess was also irritating. The Doctor jolted when he realized that he also now had a vivid memory of being mercilessly tortured by Jackles. Trying to push the thought out of his mind the Doctor whimpered when he failed. A soft touch brushed his cheek to sooth him, he accepted the contact without question at first. Taking a deep breath the Doctor found himself able to relax.

"Doctor, please, please wake up." Amy's voice whispered. "I'm so scared."

"Amy?"

"Doctor?"

The Doctor opened his eyes and looked up at Amy. When she saw he was awake tears of relief streaked down her face. He was laying on his back again, but this time against a comfortable contoured surface rather than a cold glass floor. Amy collapsed against his chest and broke down into quiet weeping. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and gently rubbed between her shoulder blades to comfort her. Confused he furrowed his brow and looked around at the polygonal shaped off white room they were in and suddenly understood.

"Oh, clever, clever TARDIS." The Doctor chuckled as he closed his eyes again. "What would I do without you, Old Girl?"

"Doctor...where are we?" Amy asked anxiously.

"It's a Zero Room, a place were a Time Lor..." The Doctor stopped and winced in pain.

"Doctor?"

"I just need some time." The Doctor said wearily. "I'm still recovering."

"But you are recovering?"

"I am now, now that I'm here."

"Are we safe here?"

"Yes, absolutely safe."

"So...I shouldn't worry about the fact that we're floating a few feet off the floor?"

"Not at all."

Amy accepted this answer as she sat up and looked down at the floor. The Doctor nestled into the air as though it was soft mattress and made a noise of contentment. Amy reached out and brushed his long hair off his face and briefly pressed her hand against his cheek. The Doctor smiled and reached up to take her hand in his own. Amy held the Doctor's hand and kept watch while he drifted in and out of dreamless sleep.

The crystal that the Doctor wore had been a bright blue when they had first arrived in the bizarre featureless room, but as he lay peacefully the crystal calmed as well until it was barely active. Curious Amy pulled the v-neck of the Doctor's shirt to the side to look at the pattern over his heart and found that although it was still visible it didn't look as pronounced. Leaning down she put her ear to his chest and listened to his hearts. His right heart was still weak, but it no longer fell out of rhythm with the other one the way it had before.

Breathing easily the Doctor eventually opened his eyes and looked up at Amy once more. She forced a brave smile, but couldn't help but look concerned. The Doctor flashed her a more genuine smile and stretched out with a satisfying yawn. Lacing his fingers behind his head he supported himself in the levitated position and enjoyed the relaxed feeling.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better than I have in years." The Doctor purred.

"I don't understand, what happened?"

"The TARDIS teleported us here just before you were able to use the Vale Blade on me."

"And where is 'here'?"

"This is a Zero Room, it's kind of like an intensive care ward for Time Lords, a space that is cut off from all outside influences. Helps me heal, both physically and mentally, most importantly it gives me the power to organize all this chaotic energy that's been tearing at me."

"Why didn't we just come here in the first place?"

"We couldn't, it didn't exist. I lost the original version of this room a long time ago. Don't let its simple looks fool you, it's a very complicated place, practically its own Universe, it has its own laws of physics and everything. Hence the levitating. I didn't even know it *could* be recreated, takes a lot of raw energy to make...oh, wait, of course. I bet the TARDIS used the bio-electric surge from me." The Doctor closed his eyes again and smiled warmly. "Dangerous move, Old Girl, constructing a new Zero in such a hurry so close to a Time Lock with an untamed and untested power source...could have ripped a hole in time or worse."

"She saved your life."

"She didn't do it just for me. It was a calculated risk to avoid a potentially serious paradox."

"How serious?"

"Very serious." The Doctor admitted. "Extremely very serious. The kind of paradox where the Universe would just throw her hands up and say: 'Forget it, why bother with existence, I give up'."

"But you always say that paradoxes tend to work themselves out," Amy pointed out "that time finds a way to heal the wound."

"Notice how I use the phrase 'tend to'. There are exceptions, and a big one would be a Time Lord going back in time and then causing the destruction of the very world the Time Lords evolved on long before they ever existed. Particularly when that entire world and the species is already stuck in a powerful Time Lock in the near future. That's why I needed you to kill me before I overloaded the TARDIS and blew her up along with Gallifrey, however the TARDIS was working on a better solution."

"If I had killed you I don't know that I we would have been any better off. Aleena would still have been a problem. What would have happen if Aleena decided to settle the Minyas right here on Gallifrey?"

"That would probably work itself out somehow. However she's still a 'problem'. If she decides to destroy one of the suns of Gallifrey, well then we'll be right back at that 'why bother with existence' type paradox. I don't dare tell her we are above Gallifrey in fear that she might do just that without listening to reason. She has made gains, but she's still unstable."

"She can't actually blow up a sun...can she?"

"She absolutely has that kind of power."

"You're kidding?"

"No. Aleena is going to have a lot of big decisions to make in the near future. Beyond the serious fact that she holds the fate of the Universe in her hands, she is also the only one who can return the second Vale Blade to me."

"You still belive Aleena can be saved." Amy huffed.

"I do."

"And if she can't? What if she does try to destroy the one of Gallifrey's suns?"

"I will deal with that if the time comes."

"What if she simply can't find the other Blade?"

"There is a good chance she already has it." The Doctor replied calmly.

"What?"

"You kept one Blade with you, I suspect you would have kept them both on your person."

"Why would she have lied to you about that?"

"Because you don't undo two hundred thousand years of fear, rage, and pain in two hours by making friends. It takes something far more powerful. Which is why I sent her to find Ithican."

"I don't understand."

"Love, Amy, she loves him. Love is powerful. Luckily it would appear that not only is Ithican a good man, but something also tells me that he still loves her."

"What gives you that idea?"

"It's been a hundred thousand years since he lost his memory and he's still wearing a royal wedding band that he has maintained in perfect condition...even though he doesn't know what it is or why it should be so important to him."


	34. Chapter 34

NOTE: Okay *now* I've seen the finale! Fan-squeee.

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Chapter Thirty-four

"Time Lord, wait..."

Ithican backed away from the TARDIS and raked his trembling hands through his midnight hair as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. The deranged looking Time Lord had demanded to know his Companions' location once more, but Ithican hadn't said a word. Ithican hadn't been sure what he had hoped to achieve by defying the ancient beast. He expected to be struck dead by him, but seconds after issuing his threat the Time Lord had suddenly collapsed. It had been pure instinct for Ithican to reach out and catch him as he fell.

Ithican had managed to keep the Doctor on his feet and found himself frozen in place as he helped support the struggling Time Lord. He had known his enemy was wounded and weak. He had known that if he was going to strike that he had the perfect opportunity right then. The Time Lord had gripped the front of Ithican's shirt and whimpered while a tremor had wracked his entire body.

Unable to bring himself to adding to the pathetic creature's pain Ithican had kept his hold on the Doctor to keep him from falling to the metal floor. It only took a moment before the Doctor was able to stand on his own. The Time Lord had backed away and smiled warmly at Ithican.

"Thank you, Master Ithican. I apologize for being rude earlier, just worried about my friends and all, its been a rough day. Everything is going to be alright, promise, you just have to stay calm and trust me. Please don't muck with the TARDIS, she really is in a temper and I don't want anyone to get hurt. Friends then?"

"Wha..." Ithican stopped when the Time Lord had grabbed his hand and shook it as though they were meeting for the first time at a social function.

"That's a nice ring, very shiny." The Doctor said suddenly as he turned Ithican's hand over and took a closer look. "I have to go, Amy's running out of time. Please, just tell me where she is."

"I will not betray my Queen."

"So she's with Aleena. Thank you."

It was at that point that the Time Lord had vanished in a flash of white teleport light.

"Time Lord, wait..."

Back in the present moment Ithican backed away from the TARDIS and raked his trembling hands through his midnight hair. In shock that he had just allowed the Time Lord to escape Ithican turned to Tarin. His second in command was staring at him, just as confused.

"What just happened?" Tarin asked stunned.

"Time Lord charm." Ithican growled. "He got exactly what he wanted. I told you they were dangerous, and yet I didn't listen."

"What do we do now?" Tarin asked.

"Keep splicing into the cable, we have to make sure this TARDIS never flies again." Ithican snarled. "He made a fatal mistake tapping into our systems, if we can reverse it we can drain her dry!"

"But he said..."

"All lies to frighten us off! Meanwhile he is going after Aleena! Now follow my orders and get me access to that TARDIS!"

"Yes, Sir!" Tarin nodded.

Ithican tried to activate his teleporter and swore when he found that he'd been locked out of it. He tried to warn the guard detail outside Aleena's stateroom, but the communication systems were down as well now. Terrified he took off on foot at a dead run. Deep in the belly of the massive ship Ithican's lungs were burning by the time he made it to the first set of bulk head doors that the Doctor had sealed to ensure that he and Aleena weren't disturbed. Four of Ithican's men were already working on the problem, but they were not making any progress.

"Report!" Ithican barked. "Why are you not at your post outside Lady Aleena's door?!"

"We just found ourselves here, teleported."

"Of course, he has full control of the teleport system." Ithican slammed his fist against the locked metal door. "I want this door blasted open now!"

"Harris is fetching explosives, but..."

"They are all the way down in the armoury." Ithican finished. "Why is this ship so damn big?!"

Ithican paced in front of the sealed door like a tiger locked in a cage. Going over to the control panel he tore it off the wall to expose the wiring inside. It was a long shot that he could rewire the controls but he had to try something. He tried several different combinations that he knew should work, but nothing happened.

"Time Lords, too damn clever...I should have killed him when I had the chance." Ithican muttered under his breath as he tried another configuration. "If Aleena pays for my mercy..."

"Master Ithican, be careful in there."

The warning came too late as Ithican accidentally touched two of the wrong wires together. Thrown back by the substantial shock Ithican was instantly knocked unconscious. He wasn't sure how long it took him to wake but when he did every muscle in body was sore. Ithican groaned in pain as he shook his head to try and clear it. A medic was trying to keep him from sitting up, but he shoved him away and struggled to get to his feet.

"Master Ithican, please, you've received a serious electric shock, you need medical attention."

"I'm fine." Ithican insisted. "Where are we on getting the door open?"

"Harris should have been here by now, I've sent someone else to see what's wrong."

"Sir," the medic said firmly "you need to come down to sick bay."

"Piss off!"

The medic's eyes widened in shock, but he backed off. Ithican did his best ignore the throbbing pain that radiated from his hand up to his chest from where the current had traveled through to his heart. Feeling helpless he started to pace in front of the door once again when suddenly after a white flash he found himself alone. He could hear the men on the far side of the door calling out for him in alarm. Disoriented Ithican spun around and looked around the empty corridor. Realizing that he had only been taken to the far side of the door he narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders.

"You want to play with me, Time Lord? Fine! Then let's play! Show yourself!"

Ithican didn't bother to wait for the Doctor to step from the shadows. He took off at a run towards Aleena's stateroom. Reaching the closed door he slammed his security code into the panel and prayed that it would work. When the door slid open Ithican stumbled inside and dropped to his hands and knees. Heaving for breath Ithican's damaged heart stumbled as it raced painfully.

"Don't you dare..." Ithican roared breathlessly. "Don't you dare touch her!"

Ithican forced himself to his feet and readied himself for a fight that he expected to lose. It took him a second to realize that he was alone. He looked around the room, the open cabinet containing the collection of Time Lord devices instantly caught his attention. There was no telling what kind of weapon the Time Lord had a hold of from the treasure trove. Taking a step towards the cabinet Ithican stopped cold when he noticed the dark stain on the white carpet. Walking over to the stain he dropped down to his knees like he was in a trance and reached out to touch it. The blood was cold but still wet. Ithican brought his hand up and stared at the red on his fingertips. It didn't even occur to him that it could possibly be the Doctor's blood.

"No...please, no..."

Ithican bowed his head as his heart grew painfully heavy. His eyes stung with tears, however he found himself unable to actually shed them. Drawing a shuddering breath his grief was quickly replaced by rage. Grinding his teeth together he curled lip into an animalistic snarl.

"I promise you, Time Lord, you will regret this! I will make all of Gallifrey regret this!"

Ithican lept to his feet and rushed over to the open cabinet. All his knowelage of the Time Lords came from a book Aleena had entrusted him with on their technology. So looking at the collection Ithican could identify a good number of the inventions. He smiled when he found a crystal that looked like a large diamond on the end of a chain. Looping the necklace over his head he tucked the clear crystal into the collar of his shirt.

Turning to leave Ithican jumped back with a yelp when there was a blinding flash in front of him. When his vision cleared he stared in disbelief. Looking disoriented and in shock herself Aleena stared right back at Ithican.

"Ithi..."

Aleena was cut off as Ithican closed the small space between them with frightening speed. Carding one hand into her hair he wrapped his other arm around her waist to pull her against him and engaged her in a deep passionate kiss. Taken off guard Aleena did not return the affection, rather she tensed in surprise. Just as she was about to relax into the emotional exchange Ithican realized what he was doing and violently released her. Dropping to his knees Ithican put his palms on the carpet in front of himself and bowed down to press his forehead against the back of his hands in submission.

"No, don't do tha..."

"For...forgive me!" Ithican begged.

"Ith..."

"Please, My Lady, allow me to hunt down and kill the Time Lord for you." Ithican interrupted without looking up. "Afterward I will not resist execution."

"Execution?" Aleena repeated alarmed.

"I deserve no less. I had no right to disgrace you as I just did."

Horrified by the conviction in Ithican's voice Aleena suddenly couldn't find her own. Her silence was far more painful than Ithican could bare. Still bowed to the floor Ithican closed his eyes and the tears he couldn't shed before finally escaped. He flinched as Aleena put her hand on his shoulder. She silently insisted that he sit up, after some hesitation he did so.

Aleena had knelt down in front of him showing that she had tears of her own tracing down her face. Ithican automatically reached out to brush them away but just before he touched her he remembered his place once more. Pulling away he held his hands behind his back and bowed his head like a well beaten prisoner. Aleena reached out with a shaky hand to touch his cheek but couldn't find the courage to make contact either.

"I am so sorry, Ithican."

"It is not your fault. You can not let such a transgression go unpunished."

"Not for that, although if I didn't know any better, I'd say you want me to put you to death."

"Of...of course not...but, you have no choice, I understand."

"Ithican, you know our laws...since when has Capital Punishment ever been a part of them?"

Ithican didn't answer right away. Kneeling on the floor with his head hung in defeat he looked every day of his two hundred thousand year age. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"You're right...I am seeking death. I can't do this any more. I'm too tired, I've been in pain for too long." Ithican admitted quietly. "I have tried each time I've had my memory Cleaned to have it removed, but it always comes back, every time...every single time I find myself in love with you all over again. And when that happens the past hundred thousand years flood back to me. I've been hiding it, but memory Cleaning doesn't seem to work right on me. However I still can't remember any further back than my first Clean...so I still don't know who I am, its maddening."

"What have I done to you?" Aleena whispered in horror. "Ithican, you're..."

"I know, I'm no one, just a B Class guard dog in love with his master." Ithican sighed. "Now that I've touched you...it will be only thing I'll be able to think about. I'm worthless as a servant now."

"I don't want a servant," Aleena said firmly "I want my partner back."

Ithican looked up at Aleena with a confused expression. She brought her hand up and pulled off the golden bracelet that she wore off. With the Perception Filter removed the ring she wore snapped into his view. Ithican took Aleena's hand and inspected the ring that matched his own perfectly only with a more delicate feminine touch to it. Tearing his eyes away from the ring he searched Aleena's eyes.

Unable to find any words Aleena hesitantly leaned in and lightly touched her lips against Ithican's. She had no idea how he was going to react to learning who he was. At first Ithican wasn't even sure how to react, but with with her warm lips agains his own he quickly figured it out. This time Aleena was able to return the amours kiss the way she had wanted to over the past hundred thousand years.

Ithican wrapped his arms around Aleena's waist and pulled her against him as he continued the increasingly aggressive kiss. Aleena was forced to pull back to catch her breath and laughed as Ithican playfully sunk his teeth into her shoulder. Encouraged by her reaction Ithican laid her down on the soft carpet and supported himself on his elbows over her so that he only put a small amount of his weight against her. Aleena reached up and ran her fingers through his hair as she studied his face as though seeing it for the first time.

"I have missed you so much." Aleena whispered.

"It has killed me to see you being so alone."

"You've always stayed at my side. Always my brave protector."

"You know what I mean. I don't understand, why couldn't we have been together?"

"We were at first."

"What happened?"

"As the centuries stretched into millennia you turned suicidal with grief and rage, I took your memories so that you could live. I couldn't bare to let you love me again, I couldn't lose you again. I thought you'd be happier, I thought you'd be at peace like the others if you could participate in memory Cleaning."

"I have been in agony. It only took the memories," Ithican smiled sadly "it couldn't steal my emotions. I never forgot that I loved you, I just didn't know why."

"I am so sorry, you hid it so well, all this time I mistook your love for simple loyalty." Aleena whimpered. "Forgive me...please."

"You are always forgiven." Ithican nuzzled against her neck. "It is the Time Lords who are at fault...and there is one in within my grasp."

"About the Time Lord..."

"I won't let him hurt you. I will hunt him down and kill him myself."

"That won't be necessary."

"What? He is the enemy, of course it is necessary."

"He's dying."

"That only makes him more dangerous." Ithican said seriously. "The less he has to lose the more he will lash out."

"I could save him, I just don't know if I shou..."

"What?" Ithican interrupted. "Why would you save him?"

"Because he is the last of his kind, because he is understanding, because he returned you to me..."

"Wait, does he know that you can save him?"

"Yes."

"Are you the only one who can?"

"I believe so. There is a dagger that contains a piece of his soul that only I can find."

"Does he know that?" Ithican pressed.

"He does."

"Then he is not to be trusted."

"Ithican..."

"Aleena he is a *Time Lord*, we have been running for our lives from them for hundreds of thousands of years. I don't know the details, but I know they destroyed our world! He is a liar and a trickster, all Time Lords are. As soon as he has what he wants from us he will destroy us!"

"No one fears Time Lords more than I do, but this one seems different, he is so gentle with his Companion...and with me."

"He is not different, it is a facade. I have seen his other side, his true nature. I have seen him full of anger and arrogance. He stormed from the inferno of his TARDIS dripping in gold and threatening the life of everyone aboard if he didn't get what he wanted. It wasn't until he realized that he was too weak to make good on those threats that he put on his charming smile."

"Really?"

"I have never lied to you. I expected him to have slaughtered us all by now, however now that I learn that he needs something from us it all makes sense. He is using you."

"We need him too, the Age Lock only he can fix it."

"He can't be trusted."

"I...I don't know what to do."

Still laying under Ithican Aleena closed her eyes as tears spilled from the corners. Ithican shifted his weight onto one elbow so that he could reach up and brush away her tears. He rested his cheek against hers for a moment while they both collected their thoughts. Ithican slowly sat up and helped Aleena do the same. He took her hands in his own and gave them a gentle kiss.

"As always I will follow you in whatever you decide, you are forever my Queen." Ithican said honestly. "However, remember that a Time Lord is like fire: warm, life giving, and beautiful, but also destructive, dangerous, and deadly."

"Fire can be a powerful tool if you can control it, and I can control the Time Lord...I own his soul."

"Aleena, the only way to fully control a fire is to extinguish it."


	35. Chapter 35

NOTE: Please don't worry if there are a few confusing bits in here, much like the show I'm adding some details that I'm not going to explain right away because I plan to use them later...perhaps not even until the sequel. And 'yes', I've been setting up for sequel to this for the past ten chapters or so. But I will revist the detail when I use them again, so youa also don't have to worry about remembering them all...that's my job. Giggle.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-five

"Doctor?"

"Hmmm?"

"You awake?"

"Probably wouldn't have answered you the first time if I wasn't." The Doctor teased.

"I meant properly awake." Amy clarified.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You were making me nervous. Your eyes are open but you're twitching like a dog chasing rabbits in his sleep. I thought you might be in some sort of trance or something."

"You're not far off actually. I'm taking this rare opportunity to organize my neurons a bit, the last week has been exhausting, and beyond that my regeneration into this body was a little rough to start with, plus it has been centuries since I've spent time in a Zero Room." The Doctor explained. "All in all a few weeks in here would do me wonders."

"Weeks?"

"Don't worry, Pond. I know we don't have that kind of time to rest."

"So time runs normally here?"

"Unfortunately, yes." The Doctor sighed. "Now hush please, if you're bored I can give you a complicated maths problem to work on."

"I'm never that bored, Doctor."

"I have some fun ones involving black hole physics." The Doctor added.

"Go back to chasing your rabbits."

The Doctor chuckled and closed his eyes so that Amy wouldn't be as unnerved by his neuro reworking. Despite the fact that the levitating forces offered him plenty of support Amy switched her position so that the Doctor could use her lap as a pillow. When Amy started to play idly with his hair the Zero Room's ability to enhance his own psychic capacity allowed the Doctor to feel Amy's concern for both himself and Rory. He tilted his head back to look up at Amy.

"It's going to be okay, Amy."

"You keep saying that, but I think that you're trying to convince yourself not me." Amy said and then gasped. "I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to say that out loud."

"You didn't. Psychic link. If you don't want it to happen again you'd better stop playing with my hair."

"It's just so irresis..." Amy jerked her hand away. "Please tell me you didn't hear that."

"I won't tell Rory." The Doctor teased.

"I hate this room."

"I can't leave just yet. I need at least another hour or two before I'll have enough control over the bio-energy to be safe for any length of time in the real Universe. I had you come with me before when I thought I was going to need help finding something to replace the crystal set up, now that the TARDIS has solved that for me I can teleport you to go be with Rory and Jackles if you'd like."

"No." Amy shook her head. "I don't want you to be alone."

"Thank you."

Amy was careful to keep her hands to herself this time as the Doctor closed his eyes and turned his attention inward. In his own imagination the Doctor walked through the vast disorganized library of his memories and knowelage. It wasn't that he didn't know where every single book was, it was just that they were scattered across the floor and stacked up in piles on the shelves randomly instead of placed neatly back on the shelves where they belonged.

"It's a wonder I can think at all." The Doctor huffed.

Going up to one of the empty shelves the Doctor blew off the thick layer of dust. Placing his palms on the surface he closed his eyes and concentrated. After a moment he stepped back and opened his eyes again. He smiled as he inspected his work, a beautiful full shelf of leather bound books without titles. Repeating the process over the course of half an hour he ended up with a row about a fifteen yards long in place.

"There we go, River, cleaned up the time we spend on Tralangi Three...that was a hell of a night."

The Doctor smiled to himself as he reached out and affectionately brushed the spine of one of the books. A sudden sharp noise caused the Doctor to jolt in surprise, it had sounded like a book hitting the floor but there shouldn't be anything to cause one to fall. He furrowed his brow in concern, he had expected to be alone in his own head. Stalking through the broken down ruins of the vast metaphysical library he made his way towards a quiet sound. As he drew closer he decided it sounded like someone ripping paper.

"Hello?" The Doctor called.

The sound paused for a moment before resuming. The Doctor looked up and down the endless disorderly bookshelves before continuing towards the unsettling sound. Coming around the corner the Doctor tripped over something and with a yelp of surprise landed in a tangled heap. Rolling over he sat up and looked down at what he'd caught his foot on. On the floor small white cube about a foot square covered in Gallifreyan script was glowing a warm gold.

"Oh wow...you're still in here?" The Doctor stared at the cube in disbelief. "I just assumed I lost you several regenerations ago."

The Doctor hesitantly touched the glowing cube causing it to gleam brighter.

"I really can't deal with you right now." The Doctor pulled his hand away and got to his feet. "I'm sorry...I...never mind, you're just memories, apologizing to a machine is pointless. Still, I am sorry I never bothered to check if you were still here."

The Doctor stared down at the box, unable to walk away. The sound of another book hitting the marble floor snapped him out of his trance and he turned away from the cube. Drawing closer to the continued sounds of frantically tearing paper the Doctor drew out his sonic. He wasn't sure what good it would be inside his own mind, but in the Zero Room he could make up a lot of the rules himself.

Finally coming to one row away from the source of the bizarre sound the Doctor pressed his back against the shelf. He carefully made his way towards the break in the shelves that would allow him to get around to the next row. Getting to the corner he peeked around to see who was mucking around in his memory.

"Ah...of course." The Doctor sighed putting the sonic away. "Well, that's...disturbing."

Sitting on the floor surrounded by a pile of tattered and torn books and their shredded pages was a mirror image of the Doctor. Sunk into his chest were the twin Vale Blades, blood soaked the front of his white shirt and his hair was plastered down by sweat. As the Doctor watched his gory self took a hold of a book and violently ripped the pages out.

The pages came free from the leather cover with a spray of gold. He tossed the book and the pages over his shoulder in a flurry of tattered paper. The pages slowly started to come together on their own. The Doctor could see other torn books further along that were organizing themselves once again and other groups of pages that were seeking their covers. The bloodied copy of the Doctor paid no attention to his guest as he continued in his endless task of destroying the self repairing books.

"So, you're the reasons for the gaps in my memory. Which I guess means *I'm* the reason. I couldn't handle the memories and this was my solution, but not a good one. Which is probably why I have the 'spells', if a book manages to heal itself I fall into the memory. Although, I wonder how I managed to affect the whole ship..." The Doctor mused sadly to himself. "In any case this is a battle that can not be won, I bet the memories fix themselves faster now that one of the Blades has been restored to me. I'm starting to remember them afterward. It will be even worse for you, for us, once I have the other Blade back. So you might as well stop now."

The Doctor stepped forward and leaned down to pick up one of the books. The other Doctor jumped to his feet with terrifying speed and snatched the book away, tearing it to shreds before snarling at the Doctor with blood stained teeth. The Doctor held his hands up in a sign of peace and took a step back. The copy watched the Doctor warily for a moment before he turned around and kicked at the pages that were trying to find one another, sending them into panic like a flock of birds taking flight from a predator. He sat back down in the blizzard of paper and just looked at his hopeless cause.

"I know you're just trying to help, and I appreciate that, I really do." The Doctor said gently. "And from what little I do remember, you're right; it's not something I want to have to live with. However, there is one memory here I need back, there is one book I need you to stop destroying..."

In an act of defiance the Vale Blade silenced version of the Doctor snatched up a book that had almost fixed itself, he glared up spitefully at the Doctor and pulled it apart.

"I can be a real prat sometimes." The Doctor said seriously.

The Vale Doctor smiled, drooling blood, before going back to his work.

"Please, I need to know what happened right after Aleena put those daggers in our chest. How did we end up on the other side of the Time Lock, five billion years in the past? How did I end up mostly human instead of just dead? I must have done something, I need to know what it was."

The Vale Doctor shook his head and in a burst of energy tore and scattered the pages of half a dozen books. The harder he worked to ruin the books the more alive they seemed to be. There were several dozen books surrounding him all of which had at least some damage, but there was one cover that was also torn into several pieces that was trying to pull itself back together again.

"These can't be all of them, I'm missing almost a week of my memory" the Doctor noted as he looked at the pile book the Vale was destroying "you must have condensed them into key points or something. Compressed memories, repressed memories, you know these can be dangerous. If you think you are doing this for our own good you're really doing more harm than goo..."

The Doctor stopped as the Vale chucked an empty leather cover at him. The Doctor ducked in time and the cover sailed over him. Landing on the floor the stripped down book cover started to inch its way back towards its pages.

"I'm not going away until I get what I want." The Doctor said firmly. "Since you are me you know how persistent we can be."

The Vale Doctor stopped what he was doing and hung his head in defeat for a moment. He looked around and found a page that had just mended itself. Getting to his feet he made sure that pages on the floor were well separated before stepping up to the Doctor. He held out the single page.

"One page? That's all I need to know?"

The Vale Doctor shook his head.

"So what is this? A test?"

The Vale nodded.

Suddenly fearing the page covered in tiny golden Gallifreyan script the Doctor hesitated. The Vale Doctor wasn't going to wait forever, his books were mending themselves at his feet. When he went to turn away the Doctor reached out and snatched the page away from him. Touching the memory instantly threw him back into it.

"I'm sorry, Time Lord, you were too dangerous." Aleena said sadly. "I will not use your power for myself...but I couldn't let you keep it either."

The Doctor had barely heard Aleena's words. She had slammed the Vale Blades into his chest and he had felt his hearts stop. The initial pain dissolved into peace, however seconds later the Doctor jerked awake with a wash of sheer panic. Aleena cried out in shock and stumbled back, having thought he was dead. Trying to take a breath the Doctor choked on the blood filling his lungs. His hearts had stopped when first impaled but now they pounded again. With each beat they slice themselves apart again on the invasive metal.

"What's happening?!" Aleena asked horrified. "You...you should be dead!"

Terrified the Doctor looked to Aleena and tried to ask for help. Convulsively swallowing blood and only able to breathe out a small amount of gold dust the Doctor couldn't find his voice. His chest burned from the lack of oxygen, but instead of leading to death it just reset the faulty regeneration cycle that Jackles had been triggering in him for days. The fear of being caught in a body that couldn't die was far worse than any pain he was currently experiencing. Fighting panic and restraint he continued to look to Aleena for help. She was trembling violently as she watched him struggle, unwilling to step closer.

"Th...this wasn't supposed to happen!" Aleena whimpered. "I...I...I don't know what to do..."

The Doctor calmed himself enough to stare at her and then down at the daggers stuck in his chest before making a motion that suggested he'd be endlessly grateful if she'd pull them out. It took Aleena a second to figure out what the Doctor wanted and a full minute to gather up the courage to actually step closer to do it. She reached out to grab one of the hilts and as she did so a snap of electricity burned the pattern in the handle into her palm.

Back in the library the page had come to an end and the Vale took it away from him again. Reeling from the memory the Doctor gasped sharply and staggered a few steps back. He pressed his hand against his chest before he doubled over and retched violently. Forcing his stomach back under control he took a few deep breaths just to remind himself that he could. The Doctor pulled his hands though his hair a few times and tried to push the memory of his broken hearts and useless lungs out of his thoughts.

"Ho...how long was I like that?" The Doctor whispered.

The Vale Doctor looked around and started gathering up specific scattered pages. He allowed a few of the tattered ones to mend themselves as he brought them together. He had spread these particular pages further than any of the others and had to walk a circle to get them all. Careful to keep the pages in two separate handfuls he brought them over and held them up to the Doctor. Looking at what had to be over a hundred pages the Doctor cringed.

"I was afraid of that. Aleena must have run off to get Jackles, he would have wanted to run tests, she'd already demonstrated that it wasn't as simple as yanking the Blades out." The Doctor reached up and rubbed his chest. "I could have spent hours breathless before I decided to somehow slaughter the ship to escape...and that's what I would have thought I was doing, taking everyone down with me. Considering the bang I made, I might have even thought I was going to rip a hole in the Universe...maybe I did. Did I?"

The Vale Doctor just shrugged his shoulders showing he either didn't know or didn't care.

"Can't just skip to the last page, eh?"

The Vale shook his head sadly.

"Alright, then we'll do this hard way." The Doctor took a step forward and held his hand out. "Hand me the next page."

The Vale Doctor took a step back and greedily clutched the living pages.

"I have to remember. I need to know what I did."

The Vale shook his head stubbornly.

"Why won't you give me those pages?" The Doctor demanded angrily.

The Vale tried to speak but all that came from his parted lips was blood. The Doctor took a step forward to help him but the Vale jerked back and snarled at him like a wounded animal. After ripping the pages and scatting them again the Vale Doctor cupped his hand and spat a pool of blood into his palm. Dipping his index finger in the blood he bend down and scrawled a message out on the marble floor.

YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH

"I really am, I promise." The Doctor assured. "I'm strong enough. I was rattled by the first page, but I can do this."

The Vale Doctor narrowed his eyes and glared icily at the Doctor for a moment. Looking weary he turned away and sat down heavily before going back to shredding the pages. The leather bound covered memories were now actively trying to escape his grasp, but they could only slowly flutter away from him and were easily caught. The torn edges glittered with gold regeneration dust as they worked to find one another. The Doctor looked down at the page that he'd already touched and shivered.

"Then again if I was strong enough...you wouldn't be here in the first place, now would you?"


	36. Chapter 36

Note: Short chapter is short.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-six

"So...what are we looking for?"

"Nothing." Jackles admitted miserably.

"I'm sorry, what? Nothing?" Rory repeated. "I thought we were looking for some sort of stored Time Lord energy or some other science type thing."

"If my experiment had worked the Age Lock would already be reversed."

"I don't understand." Rory looked around the broken lab that he was now alone in with Jackles. "Wasn't the experiment only half finished?"

"No, it simply failed. It was never part of my procedure to 'store' anything. After pushing the Doctor's body to the critical point the energy burst should have run through the whole ship and released the Age Lock." Jackles explained freely. He looked over at the destroyed table. "I didn't strap him to the table to hold him still, that table is wired into special conduits that run through every inch of this ship."

Rory looked at Jackles with a confused expression. The tired looking older man just looked away. Jackles walked over to a nearby heap of twisted metal and rubble and started to rummage through it. Rory shook his head and approached Jackles again.

"Wait, no...I'm sorry, you're not making any sense." Rory protested. "You said, you told Aleena and the Doctor, like ten minutes ago, that you wouldn't have handed him over to her unless you'd had gotten what you needed from him. What was that all about?"

"More lies." Jackles shrugged as he lifted a broken ceiling tile up off the pile and tossed it aside. "I may not remember exactly what happened, but I know myself well enough to know that I lie when cornered."

"Right. Lying. Great." Rory grumbled. "As long as we're having this little 'heart to heart' any other lies you'd like to share?"

Jackles paused in his work for moment. He stared down sightlessly at the mess before bringing his tear brightened eyes up to look at Rory.

"I did get another tape to work before you arrived." Jackles said quietly. "I was trying to comfort the Doctor after the process failed, giving him Reglin nectar to ease the pain and hunger he was in, telling him the experiment had worked. I tried to convince him that he was hero for our people, that we were going to nurse him back to health, that his suffering wasn't in vain...of course, it was all lies. I was probably just trying to make myself feel better by deluding myself into thinking that I was helping him die in peace."

"You're insane...you know that right?"

"Would it have been better to have told him that he had experienced unimaginable agony for nothing and that he was going to die anyway? At least this way he could have had died thinking he helped someone. At the end of the tape I went to get Aleena...at least I guess I must have since she pierced him with the Vale Blades. I knew it was always her intention to murder him when I was done with him. We couldn't let him live after what I did to him, he'd be insane from the process anyway.

But I was a coward, I must have told her I didn't need him so that she'd deal with him rather than try something else with him to reverse the Age Lock. This way I could wash my hands of him. In any case there is no 'stored Time Lord energy' for us to be searching for, anything that he released during the process has already been dispersed across the ship."

"Why didn't you tell the Doctor all this when he was still standing here?!" Rory demanded angrily. "This is kinda important information! Why keep lying when we are trying to help?!"

"Because after fifteen thousand years of work, endangering everyone on this ship with a dangerous experiment, and needlessly torturing the last of the Time Lords who I have since learned would have helped us of his own free will...I...I couldn't admit to my Queen that I had failed."

"Great. Just great."

"Now I have also learned that I used your wife against him. Not to mention that he's going to destroy this ship and maybe even the Universe because of me...did you see what he did?" Jackles looked over his shoulder at the console that the Doctor had melted. "We are all going to die and I can't even find the courage to spend what time we have left with my wife and daughter. I'm terrified that they'll see me for the monster that I've become. Did you hear in the tape how calm I was as I threatened to kill your wife to wake the Doctor? Even after he woke and began screaming under the device that *I* created, all I said was 'I thought that would work'. I said that as cold as it if it was just the out come of another computerized experiment...as if I wasn't playing with real lives. I was causing another living creature such agony and it didn't even phase me..."

Rory started to feel increasingly awkward as Jackles ended his rambling by breaking down into tears. He had a hard enough time knowing what to do whenever Amy started crying, let alone when a strange man started whimpering. Luckily Jackles pulled himself together went back to shifting the pile of debris around. Rory watched as Jackles knelt down and picked up a palm sized metal and glass object that was vaguely weapon shaped.

"Jackles, what is that?"

Jackles didn't answer he just stared down at his prize as he got to his feet.

"Jackles? Are you okay?"

"No." Jackles whispered hoarsely. "I'm not the man I thought I was...I'm merciless, heartless, inhumane, cruel, cowardly...no, worse than all that: I'm evil."

"Um...okay..." Rory said uncomfortably as he took a step back. "Let's...um...let's just go find the Doctor and figure out what we should do next."

"I am not going to face the Time Lord again."

"He's very forgiving."

"That's part of the problem."

"What?"

"He deserves justice, and he'll never seek it out himself."

"Wha... Jackles, wait, no!"

Despite only being a few feet away Rory wasn't fast enough to stop Jackles. Bringing what turned out to be some kind of syringe to his throat Jackles pulled the trigger. There was no noise from the device but Jackles cried out in pain and stiffened. Rory caught him and eased him to the floor. He pressed his hand against Jackles' throat and found his pulse racing dangerously fast.

"Jackles! What was that? What did you do?!"

Jackles clawed at the metal floor as he began to go into spasms. Rory pressed his forearm against Jackles' chest to try and hold him down to keep him from hurting himself, but thrashing quickly became the least of Jackles' problems. Something was coursing through his blood and breaking down his systems. His eyes rolled back to white as he passed out. His once racing heart dropped down to a deathly slow rhythm. Rory reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small med pack that he carried, but without knowing what was killing Jackles he had just as much chance of making things worse.

"Please don't die." Rory said pointlessly as he jabbed Jackles with an alien syringe.

The tiny needle with an atropine like substance worked great on humans and several other humanoid species when they were going into shock from traditional organophosphate poisons and several alien nonoragnicphosphate poisons. Jackles had gone unresponsive but with the introduction of the atropine he jolted awake with a ear piercing scream.

Rory fought to keep Jackles down as the frantic man suddenly turned on him. Jackles slammed his forehead into the bridge of Rory's nose in his bid for freedom. Reeling back in a haze of pain Rory brought his hand up to his now heavily bleeding nose. Jackles scrambled out from underneath him, but he didn't get very far. Down on his hands and knees Jackles coughed up a thick pink foam that he quickly began choking on when he couldn't clear it from his lungs fast enough.

Seeing the blood stained foam Rory regretted using the atropine and realized that all he had done was prolonged Jackles' suffering. Crashing to the floor Jackles landed on his side and convulsed one last time before going still. Rory sighed heavily before stepping over to press his finger tips against Jackles' throat again. Rory didn't bother searching for a pulse when his touch caused a wash of bubbly blood to spill from Jackles' parted lips. His sightless eyes were bloodshot and blood was beginning to drip from his nose. Whatever poison he had injected himself with had broken down his circulatory system and bled him from the inside out.

Taking a few step back Rory took a moment to get his own bloody nose under control. He decided that although it hurt it probably wasn't broken. The pool of blood around Jackles quickly darkened and congealed. Rory shook his head sadly as he stared down at Jackles' corpse.

"If you thought you were doing the Doctor a favour by taking your own life, you misjudged him...again."


	37. Chapter 37

NOTE: Luckily for all you Whovian readers it rained all day and I had no inclination to clean my house!

* * *

Chapter Thirty-seven

"Ithican? Are you okay?"

"Yes...well...no. I just need a minute..."

Aleena and Ithican were still sitting on the floor of her stateroom and had just been about to get to their feet when Ithican had winced in pain. Aleena guided him to lay down on his back, but he quickly rolled over on his side and curled up. Closing his eyes tightly Ithican ground his teeth together and growled. Panicking Aleena kept one hand on his shoulder and pressed the other against his cheek. Ithican opened his eyes and looked up at her, he forced a brave smile despite the fact that he was starting to shake.

"Ithican?" Aleena asked anxiously.

"I'll be okay."

"What's wrong?"

"Memory flood," Ithican panted "it will be over soon. Ju...just stay calm."

Trying to stay calm himself Ithican managed to take a few deep breaths. As he worked to relax his taunt muscles Aleena stroked his temple in a desperate attempt to help. Ithican reached up and sought out her hand with his own. She put her hand in his and he gave her a reassuring squeeze before releasing her again. Aleena watched helplessly as Ithican lost control of his breathing and started panting in quick shallow breaths. Welding his eyes shut once more he curled up tighter and whimpered.

Aleena was having a hard time staying calm as Ithican continued to struggle. Sweat beaded against his temple as the strange fit continued. Aleena tried to help him relax by coaxing him out of the fetal position, but his muscles were pulled so tight that she had no chance of moving him. Unable to do anything else she stroked his hair until he started relaxing on his own. It seemed like a lifetime, but in truth only a few minutes had passed before he began to uncurl. Opening his eyes he looked disoriented until he looked up at Aleena, once he focused on her he smiled brightly.

"Ithican?"

"It's over." Ithican breathed in relief. "That one wasn't so bad. It helped to not have to hold it off until I could find a place to hide."

"Hide?"

"You're the first person I've ever let witness one of my attacks."

"It looked terribly painful." Aleena said sympathetically.

"It's certainly not pleasant," Ithican remarked as he sat up "but I've had worse."

"How often does that happen?"

"It varies. I can go years without one. Sometimes I can't go an hour without several intense attacks. It's like all of a sudden I start having trouble control what memories I think about, and then they all just jumble on top of one another. Feels like a powerful migraine mixed with a drug trip. They are usually over in a few minutes, but I've had them last hours before."

"Why haven't you told anyone?"

"I didn't want to lose my Class B status and my position as Master of your Guard."

Aleena instantly broke down into tears.

"Whoa, hey, wait. Don't cry." Ithican gathered her into his arms. "That was meant to be romantic. I was trying to stay close to you."

"By suffering." Aleena whispered. "I was supposed to be leading our people and look what I've become...I'm a monster. I have hurt everyone I've touched, I've spent the past two hundred thousand years fixated on revenge. Even now I'm looking to controlling the Doctor? How insane is that? What would I even do with him under my command?"

"Aleena..."

"You say we can't trust him?" Aleena demanded. "You've got that backwards, he can't trust us!"

"Alee..."

"No! I can't keep doing this! I can't! I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I'm not strong enough!"

Ithican held Aleena closer and let her cry while he gently rocked her. In all his years at her side he had never seen her show a moment of weakness. Now that she finally had another to confide in she couldn't hide her internal conflicts. Unable to stop she sob uncontrollably against Ithican's chest. When she finally began to calm again Ithican rested his cheek on top of her head.

"You have been stronger than any of us." Ithican said soothingly.

"No." Aleena whimpered. "That honour belongs to you."

"Me? Do you know what my first thoughts were when you told me that there was a Time Lord loose on the ship?"

"That nothing would stop you from hunting him down. You've never faltered in your loyalty."

"No, that's not true." Ithican shook his head. "My initial reaction was: 'Thank the stars, the Time Lords have finally come to put us out of our misery.'."

"What?"

"For so long we have existed without living and spent that existence in fear. Death sounded like a release." Ithican continued.

"Then why did you offer to hunt down and kill him?"

"For one thing: that's my job. The other: you suddenly gave me new purpose and this Time Lord has the potential to take it away from me, of course I would do anything to prevent him from doing that. Honestly on one hand I desperately wish that he would slaughter us all, and on the other I want nothing more than to tear him apart with my bare hands. I had the chance to kill him already...but I didn't, or rather I *couldn't*. I just don't know what to think of this 'Doctor' from one minute to another."

"I have the same problem."

"How could you not?" Ithican smiled sadly. "We were never meant to be this ancient."

"So what do we do next?"

"I can't make that decision. I'm sorry."

"Ith..."

"No matter who I once was, I am no longer that man. I am just Head of the Guard. You are Leader of the Minyans. It's not fair, but the decision is yours, I am simply here to follow your orders and support your decision."

"It wasn't always like that. We used to be equals."

"Hopefully we will get the chance to get back to that, but not today. Today we all still depend on you."

Aleena nodded sadly and closed her eyes. Unwilling to make a decision just yet she nuzzled against Ithican. The sound of his strong heart was soothing and she found that despite the looming decision she felt more at peace than she had in millennia. Ithican held her tighter before guiding her to tilt her head back so that he could steal another kiss. Aleena accepted the kiss and then furrowed her brow in thought.

"Aleena?"

"We must restore the Doctor's soul to him."

"As you wish."

"At this point we have nothing to lose in trusting the Doctor: one way or another he will put an end to our suffering, even if he betrays us."

"You do not have to explain yourself to me." Ithican said seriously. "However, it is wisdom like that that makes you fit to be our Queen."

"It's not wisdom," Aleena smiled warmly "he will not betray us."

"You suddenly sound confident in that."

"I am."

"Why is that?"

"I just realized something."

"Oh?"

"He took a huge risk with us, one he didn't have to take." Aleena explained. "He knew I loved you, I told him as much. He knew you were the only thing on this ship that I would do anything for. He had the power to bring you to the lab rather than send me to you, he could have threatened your life, hurt you, used you to force me into finding the second Blade for him."

"He certainly didn't do any of that." Ithican agreed.

"It's more than that...I honestly don't think the option even occurred to him."

"As a Time Lord I am starting to find him very disappointing, but as a living soul I'm increasingly impressed."

Ithican smiled and got in one more kiss before getting to his feet and helping Aleena do the same. He gave her a moment to wash the tears from her face in the bathroom while he contacted Tarin to get an update. Looking at the panel Ithican could see that both the communications and the teleport systems were back on line for the rest of the ship, but apparently only out going calls and teleport for the area surrounding Aleena's stateroom were functional.

"Giving us some privacy, eh Doc?" Ithican chuckled. "Tarin, are you there?"

"Ithican?" Tarin's stressed voice came through. "Is Lady Aleena safe?"

"She is, she's with me."

"And are you alright? We were all certain that the Time Lord had gotten you."

"He did, but I'm fine. It's a long story." Ithican said seriously. "I have new orders for you: leave the TARDIS alone."

"Um...too late, we finished the splicing."

"Damn it." Ithican grumbled. "What happened?"

"Well, nothing at first. Then there was some really strange electric interference and a kind of lightning storm that lasted a few seconds, we've fallen back to a safe distance."

"You need to return the TARDIS energy that you stole back to her."

"Well, that's the tricky part, it doesn't seem like we drained anything off of it in the first place. At least not according to our read outs. We certainly didn't capture any energy, but the TARDIS is definitely making unhappy noises."

"Yeah, I can hear her." Ithican noted as he listened to the deep bell in the background.

"Orders, Sir?"

"Keep back, don't touch anything. If you see the Time Lord, leave him alone."

"Sir?"

"Leave him alone." Ithican repeated firmly. "Contact me at once if you see him."

"What if he approaches us?"

"If you have to defend yourselves you are free to do so, but open fire as a last resort, be sure that he is coming to harm you. First tell him that I want to talk to him before you take any violent actions against him."

"You want to talk to the Time Lord again? That didn't turn out so well the first time."

"It turned out better than I originally thought." Ithican replied. "Just keep me updated."

"Yes, Sir. There is one other thing."

"What?"

"There is a report of an usual pattern etched in the glass of the starboard alcove 476-DF19. It has certainly never been there before."

"Thank you, Tarin."

"A pattern?" Aleena asked as she came out of the next room. "I wonder if it looks anything like this."

Ithican stepped forward in concern when Aleena held up her hand and showed off her scared palm. He took her hand and traced the the lines but nothing happened. In the corner of his eye however he thought he had seen a snap of blue lighting coming from outside the large window. Ithican turned and looked out at the yellow-orange planet but there was no sign of any blue light.

"The Doctor wears a similar pattern on his chest." Aleena explained as she took her hand back. "Something that went wrong with the Vale Blades. We don't know how I ended up with part of it on my hand, but if I touch his marks we are both knocked unconscious."

"Then this alcove is worth investigating."

"Absolutely."

"Shall we?" Ithican offered Aleena his hand to take.

"Is it wrong of me to be suddenly enjoying myself?" Aleena flushed.

"Not at all, the past hundred thousand years have been incredibly dull."

"We've wasted so much time..."

"Let's not waste any more."

Aleena smiled as Ithican took her hand and activated the teleport. Standing in front of the alcove that the Doctor and Amy had shared Aleena and Ithican stared at the frosted pattern etched in the glass. Ithican inspected Aleena's hand once more and compared it to the pattern in the glass. They were not identical, but they were definitely related. Another flash of blue just at the edge of Ithican's vision caught his attention.

"Did you see that?" Ithican asked.

"The flash? The Doctor is doing that, at least I think he is."

"What?'

"He's giving off some sort of bio-energy, it manifests in a kind of blue lightning."

"Why can we see it here and now?"

"I don't know. The flashes are coming in through the windows. He was having trouble with it before, he is probably redirecting it to the hull so that it will arc harmlessly out there before dispersing."

"That's frightening."

"Another reason he needs the other Blade back, hopefully it will help him control the energy better."

With his attention on the next window over Ithican caught one of the thin bolts of lighting racing across the outside of the glass. Mesmerized by the phenomenon Ithican wandered off towards the undamaged window while Aleena took a closer look at the pattern in the one in front of her. She reached out to touch the etched marks and the pattern in her hand started to glow.

Ithican didn't notice what Aleena was doing he was distracted by another jolt of electricity. As he stepped up to the window his foot kicked something metal that clattered a few inches across the floor. Bending down Ithican picked up the discarded Vale Blade that Rory had knocked out of Amy's hand. With his attention directly on it he was able to keep it in his mind despite the powerful Perception Filter.

"Aleena, is this what we are after? Aleena?"

Ithican turned and gasped sharply when he discovered that he was alone. The frosted spiral pattern in the glass was giving off an eerie glow that made the metal hallway feel suddenly cold. He absent mindedly slipped the Vale Blade into the side of his belt as he rushed over to the spot where Aleena had last been.

"Aleena? Aleena?!"

"Ithican!" Tarin's voice jumped on the intercom.

"Tarin, what's happening?! Is Aleena there?"

"What? No, I thought she was with you! The TARDIS, it started to disappear and then stabilized again along with all this blue lightning. Whoa! It's happening again!" Tarin cried. Ithican could hear a sound like grinding gears and lighting crashing in the background. "Ithican, there's a serious storm happening here, the TARDIS keeps phasing in and out! What do we do?!"

Ithican took one last desperate look around, but Aleena was simply gone. Typing into the wall console he activated the teleport and joined Tarin and the others. Ithican stared in amazement at the light show before him as the TARDIS whined and growled in the center of the column of lightning. The unusual blue box would nearly disappear before rematerializing once again causing an amazing amount of noise and wind.

"What is it doing?!" Tarin demanded in fright.

"She's trying to leave."

"Then why doesn't it just go?!"

"I don't think she can."

"It looks like it's going to tear the place apart trying!"

"That's exactly what will happen if someone doesn't stop her." Ithican replied seriously. "We need to calm her down or she might just rip apart the Universe itself."

"How in the name of Stardust do you calm down a TARDIS?!"

"You restore her Time Lord to her..."


	38. Chapter 38

NOTE: Sorry for the long wait, hopefully it will be worth it! Long chapter is loooong. And the Doctor is back, I don't like doing OC centric chapters, but now and then they have to happen.

NOTE: At the end of this chapter you need to think like a Time Lord...you'll understand when you get there. Hopefully, if not, I will work to explain myself better in next few.

* * *

Chapter Thirty-eight

"Please tell me you're finished with your whole 'neuron reorganization' thing."

Disoriented the Doctor looked up at Amy and tried to adjust to being out of his own head. Back in the Zero Room Amy was sitting on his stomach with her hands braced against his chest to try and keep him still. He had continued to argue with his silent Vale self and even managed to steal another page from him in hopes of learning more. However, about the only thing he had learned was that the Vale was probably right about him not being able to carry the weight of the memories of being frozen in living death.

"You told me this was supposed to be good for you." Amy demanded suddenly looking cross.

"I take it I got a little more violent than just 'chasing rabbits'."

"I thought you were drowning or having a epileptic fit or something."

"I'm fine." The Doctor assured. "It was just a bit more of a mess inside my head than I thought it would be."

"I could have told you that." Amy replied only half teasing. "So you got everything all straightened out?"

"As straight as I could get it." The Doctor smiled. "Hopefully the Zero Room is here to stay and after I get you and Rory home I can spend some proper time here."

"I don't know." Amy said skeptically. "I'm not sure you should be doing this 'healing' thing on your own. It looks dangerous."

"We can argue about it later. For now there is work to be done." The Doctor said as he escaped out from under Amy. "Back up as far as you can, I want to try something."

Amy looked at the Doctor doubtfully but when he insisted she awkwardly swam through the low gravity to the other side of the room. After double checking his copper bracelets and the sonic crystal around his neck the Doctor clapped his palms together and closed his eyes. Concentrating hard on the powerful energies that the Zero Room had been helping him control the Doctor worked on gathering them between his hands before pulling his palms apart.

"Woah!" Amy cried in alarm.

"Cool, eh?"

"That depends, is it going to kill us?"

"No, no, perfectly safe. Just don't touch it."

"Right."

The Doctor smiled brightly as he inspected the crackling blue and white energy that jumped between his palms. With a little more work he was able to stabilize the living lightning into a ball and release it. Swirling and snapping in a small sphere the glowing energy chased itself around in circles while hanging in place in mid air. Once he was sure it was safe he motioned for Amy to come closer.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The Doctor beamed.

"How are you doing that?"

"I told you, Zero Room, the laws of physics don't really apply."

"So you couldn't control it like this outside here?"

"No." The Doctor shook his head. "Something very similar to this happened to the Master, he had more control than me and was able to throw his life force in destructive bolts of energy when he wanted to."

"You keep saying 'life force'."

"Only because I don't have a better word for it." The Doctor said as he peered in at the ball of lightning.

"So you don't really know what it is."

"Not really, but I'm very keen to find out."

The Doctor brought out the sonic and scanned the glowing sphere. Flicking the sonic open he read the analysis with a raised eye brow.

"Oh, now that is interesting..." The Doctor muttered to himself.

"What is it?"

"There are two energies here."

Tucking the sonic away again the Doctor carefully reached into the active storm. He grabbed a hold of one of the forks of the white lightning. The captured bolt protested and tried to bite at him like a snake. Amy wasn't sure what made the energy harmless to the Doctor but it clearly didn't bother him. Putting his palm against the blue glow that outlined the borders of the sphere the Doctor was able to draw the lightning from it and leave the shifting blue pulse behind.

"Doctor...what is that?"

"Unfortunately, it's rift energy."

"Why do you say 'unfortunately'?" Amy asked. "You know it makes me uncomfortable when you say 'unfortunately'."

"It's not something that I should personally be able to channel, I don't even know where it's coming from. Mysterious combination of bio-force...oh, there we go, I found a better word for it than 'life force', anyway, combine uncontrollable bio-force with unexplained rift energy and you've got the makings of a Time Bomb."

"Time Bomb as in...*BOOM*...then suddenly finding yourself five billion years in the past?"

"Pretty much. We're just lucky that I some how managed to take the whole ship with me. That was very improbable. It would be a lot more likely that I'd rip a sizable chunk of the ship with me and leave the rest behind."

"That doesn't sound good."

"No, it really isn't." The Doctor agreed thoughtfully. "The part of the ship that came with me would be instantly exposed to the vacuum of space, and it would be a miracle if what got left behind was still airtight let alone operational."

"Is it going to happen again?"

"I think we were building up to it." The Doctor nodded. "Between all that energy Jackles poured into me and the Vale Blades as soon as I got one Blade back it all started again."

"So won't the other Blade just trigger another jump?"

"I hope so."

"You do?" Amy asked surprised.

"We can't stay here. We need to get the Minyas back to somewhere close to their normal time, I can't be moving an entire species out of their time and I'd really not leave a ship this size with this kind of technology five billion years out of place either. There's no telling what it would change."

"How are you going to move the whole ship again?"

"That part I haven't figured out yet. What I need to really know what happened the first time."

Still holding onto the white lightning bolt the Doctor played with it absent mindedly as he thought about how he was going to circumvent the Vale Doctor's wishes that the memory stay hidden. Stealing the second page had turned his alter ego violent and instead of just passively sitting on the floor tearing at the pages he had begun to attack any time the Doctor came within ten feet of the ruined books. The Doctor hadn't given up on getting to the memory, however the Vale had eventually succeeded in waking him by killing him in the dream world.

"Can't die in your own dream..." Th Doctor muttered darkly to himself.

"Doctor? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just need to look at a memory that I won't let myself touch without trying to kill me."

"That sentence didn't even begin to make sense."

"Just because you didn't understand it doesn't mean it didn't make sense." The Doctor chuckled.

Amy narrowed her eyes at the Doctor earning her an innocent smile from him. He thought about the problem for a few more seconds before dissipating the lightning and brushing away the rift energy. Pulling out the sonic once again the Doctor put his free hand over his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

"I'm bringing Aleena here. She's the only other person who has a similar memory to the one I need. Her version might even be better, since she would have been in a better state of mind during the events."

"Um...okay. Why are you covering your eyes?"

"She might not be dressed."

"What?"

"I did send her to reunite with her long lost lover."

"Oh no..."

Amy quickly brought her hands up to cover her eyes as well as the Doctor activated the teleport to bring Aleena into the Zero Room.

"Doctor?" Aleena's voice asked confused. "Wha..."

"Are you decent?" The Doctor asked.

"Am I what?"

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes'." The Doctor said as he brought his hand down. "Sorry to bring you here without any warning, but this is really important."

"Where is here?" Aleena asked looking around the plain room.

"Ah, yes, right." The Doctor smiled. "Welcome to the TARDIS."

"Not really what I was expecting."

"This is just one room, and it was put together in hurry." The Doctor said defensively. "It's a very impressive ship, trust me, I'll give you a full tour later...well maybe not a full tour, even I haven't done that, and I've had over nine hundred years to explore around inside, but tha..."

"Doctor." Amy interrupted to keep him on task.

"Right. Aleena, first things first: how did things go with Ithican?"

Aleena flushed a deep red.

"Brilliant." The Doctor smiled. "Second, do you have the other Vale Blade? I suspect that Amy had it on her from the start."

"She didn't. I'm sorry. Ithican and I were looking for it when you brought me here." Aleena explained. "We have every intention of restoring your soul to you, I swear."

"I believe you. It might be in the TARDIS, we'll go to Amy's room when we're done here." The Doctor guessed. "Okay now for the third reason I brought you here, the one Amy isn't going to like."

"What?" Amy snapped to attention. "Why am I not going to like it?"

"Because I'm going to ask you to go into one of Aleena's hidden memories and its not a pleasant one. I would go myself, but I am starting to think that I won't be in any state of mind to bring back any useful information."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"I know, and again, I'm sorry. However I can't recreate the Time Jump if I don't know how it happened in the first place."

"Doctor..." Aleena said to get the Doctor's attention. "It's happening again, I had just reached out to touch a similar pattern etched in some glass."

The Doctor looked over at Aleena, she was holding her wrist as the marks in her palm started to glow brighter. The Doctor ran the sonic over the marks and looked to Amy. She hesitated for a moment before sighing heavily and coming closer. The two women looked to the Doctor for instructions.

"Just take Aleena's hand and try to remember every detail. The Zero Room will make this easier."

"You're paying for my psychiatrist when we get home." Amy pointed out. "This is going to take years of therapy to get over."

"I will take you back to see Sigmud Freud in person." the Doctor promised. "Although I will warn you he was a bit of a nutter himself."

Amy just shook her head sadly and reached out to take Aleena's hand. The Doctor's attention was drawn away as he thought he could hear the TARDIS' alarm bell in the distance. He was just about to stop Amy and Aleena from connecting when suddenly his vision turned to white with a teleport beam.

Teleported a good five feet above the metal floor of the ship the Doctor yelped in surprise as he crashed to the floor. Landing hard on his side he felt his shoulder snap. It instantly began to repair itself, but the fall had still knocked the wind out of him. However long after the shoulder was healed he still couldn't keep his hearts from racing or catch his breath. It took a moment for the Doctor to realize that the physical trauma of landing outside the Zero Room wasn't the true cause of his shortness of breath, it was the sudden impact that the new broken memories of the Vale Blades had on him.

The Doctor hadn't even realized how much the Zero Room had been helping him psychologically until now. The debilitating panic attack stole his breath as efficiently as the daggers had. Grabbing his chest he fought to breath against the vivid memory of his tattered hearts continuing to beat despite the sharp metal embedded in them. With his eyes closed tight he cried out in terror when someone put their hand on his shoulder.

"Doctor, it's okay, it's Rory."

The Doctor managed to open his eyes and look up at Rory. Rory forced a nervous smile and the Doctor managed to mimic the expression. Seeing the friendly familiar face helped immensely. The Doctor reached up and gripped down on Rory's arm as if to keep someone from taking his friend from him. Rory said something about being safe that the Doctor didn't really hear as he worked on calming himself. Eventually he was able to take a breath without the memory of the blood in his chest choking him. The Doctor's chest still felt tight, but he was able to release his hold on Rory as he sat up and looked around the destroyed lab.

"What am I doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same." Rory said.

"I can't stay here, I need to get back to Amy an Aleena." The Doctor clicked the sonic a few times but it would not teleport him back to the Zero Room. "That's not good. Where's Jackles, have you two figured anything out yet?"

"Ah...um...I'm sorry, Doctor, I tried to save him, I really did."

"Save him?"

The Doctor looked past Rory where Jackles lay on the floor. Rory had found a small light blue towel and draped it over his face and chest, but the frothy blood had seeped through and stained it. Jumping to his feet the Doctor rushed over to Jackles and knelt down next to him. He reached out to remove the towel but decided against it, there was nothing he could do about the death now. Getting back to his feet the Doctor backed away slowly. Unable to look away he raked his hands through his hair compulsively.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, it happened so fast. He injected himself with some sort of poison."

"It's not your fault, Rory, it's mine." The Doctor said quietly. "I saw how much pain Jackles was in, I was just too focused on my own problems to care."

"He made his own choices, Doctor." Rory said firmly. "He told me he was evil, and you know what? I think he was right."

"He was a man driven mad by fifteen thousand years worth of obsession."

"That's no excuse. If he had done half of what he did to you to anyone else you wouldn't care that he was dead."

"What?"

"You heard me."

The Doctor tore his eyes away from Jackles' lifeless form and looked at Rory. Despite his usual nervous energy making it difficult for him to keep eye contact it was clear that Rory truly believed his words.

"Every once in a while you manage to surprise me, Rory Williams."

"Thanks...I think."

"What I don't understand is why he would take his life when he was so close to being able to completing his work."

"About that, he told me some bad news..."

Rory was cut off as a noisy crack of blue lightning raced across the far wall. The Doctor grabbed Rory's wrist and yanked him back as he whipped out his sonic and aimed it at the fleeting electric effect. Despite the Doctor's violent reaction Rory hadn't seemed very surprised or alarmed by the blue light.

"What was that?!" The Doctor demanded.

"That's been going on for the past fifteen minutes or so...I...uh...I assumed it was you doing that."

"No..." The Doctor said slowly as he look at the sonic reading. "No, that is not me. That was...I don't really know what that was, some sort of high powered rift energy or more like a time flux."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know."

"I've never heard you say 'I don't know' so many times in a row...in fact I don't think I've *ever* heard you admit that until now. I used to get so annoyed with you knowing it all."

"I have no idea what's going on. Happy now?"

"No, not at all."

"Well you know what they say about what you wish for..."

The Doctor looked down at the crystal he was wearing and was somewhat relieved to see that at least it was doing its job for the moment. The Doctor jumped as another bolt of blue crackled across the wall behind them. He tried once more to teleport both himself and Rory back to the Zero Room without success. Rory noticed the concerned look and started to get truly worried.

"Doctor, is Amy okay?"

"Amy? Yes. Amy is safe. She's in the TARDIS."

"Good, good...so...what about us? Are we okay?"

"That's a question I'm not as ready to answer." The Doctor admitted. "I keep trying to get us to the TARDIS and it's not working, meaning one of two things. One is that the teleport system isn't working."

"And the other thing?"

"The TARDIS left."

"Left? She can do that? Just...leave?"

"Technically, yes. I mean she wouldn't leave without me, or you," the Doctor added quickly "without a really *really* good reason."

"But you were on the TARDIS, you were with Amy on the TARDIS right?"

"And I suddenly ended up here." The Doctor mused. "In fact this is the second time I suddenly ended up in the lab. The first time just before the Haldon burst I thought I had used the sonic to teleport myself here, but my hands were burned beyond use so I really couldn't have. This must be the second time the TARDIS has sent me back here, why..."

The Doctor's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the ship's alarm going off. Still connected to the system the Doctor turned the alarm off, panicking the crew wasn't going to help anything. However it gave him an idea. Testing the teleport he decided to take them to the vast water treatment room where the TARDIS was rather than actually inside the ship.

Arriving near the TARDIS was like landing in the middle of a hurricane. The Doctor took a hold of Rory's wrist again and pulled him back as an angry lash of blue lightning struck the spot where Rory had been standing. In the centre of the storm the TARDIS was continuously phasing in and out of existence.

"Doctor!" Ithican called.

The Doctor looked over and saw Ithican waving him over from a safe distance away. Still holding on to Rory's wrist the Doctor dragged him along. Tarin and the others automatically raised their weapons when he approached. The Doctor released Rory so that he could put his hands up peacefully.

"Stand down, Tarin." Ithican barked over the sounds of the labouring TARDIS.

"You should have your men clear out of here, Master Ithican." The Doctor advised. "I don't know if you've noticed, but it's not the safest place to be at the moment."

"His orders are mine, Tarin, take the men and go." Ithican said firmly. "People will be panicking, see to it that a riot doesn't break out."

Tarin hesitated to leave, however eventually he nodded and disappeared with the others in a flash of transporter light. Once Tarin was gone the Doctor use the teleport to move himself, Rory and Ithican further away as well so that they could still see the TARDIS, but were shielded from most of the noise and wind. Once moved Ithican turned to the Doctor and dropped down on one knee. Bowing his head Ithican held his hands behind his back and froze in place. Surprised by the oddly submissive pose the Doctor looked to Rory. Just as confused Rory just shrugged.

"Ithican?" The Doctor asked confused. "What are you doing?"

"I am simply showing you respect in hopes of gaining your forgiveness for past transgressions."

"Ah, well, there were misunderstandings on both sides. Aleena..."

"I lost her. I failed to protect her. I turned my back for just a moment..."

"I took her."

"What?" Ithican snapped his head up and narrowed his eyes at the Doctor. "Why?"

"I didn't mean that the way it sounded." The Doctor said quickly. "I brought her on to the TARDIS because I needed to talk to her, and then...you know, I can't talk to you with you down on your knees like that. Come on, get up."

The Doctor reached down and offered his hand to help Ithican stand. Ithican hesitated but he accepted the offer even though he didn't really need the assistance. Once on his feet Ithican held himself like a solider once more with his shoulder held back, any traces of subservience had been instantly lost. He looked at Rory and gave him a nod. Rory flashed him an uncomfortable smile in return.

"Ithican, how long has the TARDIS been phasing like this?" The Doctor asked.

"Not long, five minutes, maybe ten. This is our fault, we spliced..."

"No." The Doctor shook his head. "I disconnected the cable from the inside when Amy and I returned. That cable is no longer attached to the TARDIS, you didn't do this."

"Doctor, what is she doing?"

"She's trying to be here and not here at the same time." The Doctor explained.

"I don't understand."

"She's trying to stay and leave to avoid some sort of paradox or something, I don't know, I just know she's being clever."

"How do you know that?"

"I just do." The Doctor replied. "The same way I also know she can't keep it up for long."

"Is that what's causing all this blue lightning?" Ithican asked.

"I...I don't think so." The Doctor rubbed at his temples. "I don't know what we would have done to cause a paradox. I made sure no one could go down to the planet. Clearly Aleena didn't destroy either of the suns. I...I don't know what's causing this."

"How can you not know?" Ithican demanded. "You are supposed to know these things. You're a Time Lord!"

"No, I'm not! Not right now!" The Doctor snapped in a sudden flare of temper. "I know this sounds strange, but it's not easy for me to use my own mind at the moment. It is very chaotic in my head at the best of times, its a absolute mess right now!"

"Doctor?" Rory asked concerned.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I...I really needed at least twenty more minutes in the Zero Room. I barely have the energy under control, I can feel it building again with every second that I spend in the real Universe. As for what's happen I just... I can't figure out what is going on, even though I really should be able to."

"Doctor, deep breath." Rory suggested.

"Right." The Doctor took a breath. "No, that's not going to be enough. I need that other Vale Blade back."

"I don't have it," Ithican said sincerely "and from what I understand only Aleena can find it."

"I know, but we can't get to her. In fact if this continues and the TARDIS phases out completely or gets knocked into the Vortex Amy and Aleena will be lost forever."

"So what do we do?" Ithican asked desperately. "I can not lose her again."

Before the Doctor could even try to answer the group was interrupted by Tarin returning in a flash of teleport light.

"Tarin..."

"Master Ithican, you and the Time Lord are needed on the bridge right away!" Tarin announced urgently.

As quickly as he had come Tarin was gone. The Doctor didn't waste any time and teleported himself, Rory, and Ithican to the bridge. High up on the suspended platform suddenly standing next to the Captain the trio looked out onto Gallifrey. Rendered speechless they all stared at the forward view of the planet.

The yellow planet before them glittered and phosphoresced with a bright blue haze as giant bolts of lightning chased each other across the atmosphere's surface. A stray bolt lashed up from the planet and struck the front glass. The energy dispersed in a shower of sparks against the thick glass. The Doctor reached up and rubbed at his ribs over his right heart that was starting to fail him again as he stared at the energy storm.

"It's beautiful." Ithican breathed in awe. "In a hundred thousand years of deeps space travel I've never seen anything like it."

"I have...once." The Doctor whispered in horror.

The crystal around the Doctor's throat flared angrily as he took an unsteady step back. Rory took the Doctor by the elbow to help support him, the Doctor tried to pull away but Rory stayed with him. Ithican and the Captain exchanged and uneasy glance as the Time Lord continued to struggle. The Doctor tried to stay standing but when his right heart finally went into arrest he was forced to allow Rory to help him sit.

"What do I do? How can I help?" Rory asked.

"Clear." The Doctor muttered.

"What?"

"Clear, clear." The Doctor repeated as he waved Rory away.

"Oh, right." Rory took a step back. "Clear."

Balling up his right fist the Doctor allowed some of the bio-force to build up in his closed palm. Ithican and the Captain stayed back out of fear. The Doctor had no idea if his plan was going to work, but he really needed both of his hearts to at least be running at the moment even if it was at a reduced rate. He opened his hand and pressed his palm against his ribs and allowed the energy to jolt into his chest. The Doctor jerked from the shock, but he could feel his right heart lurch back into action. He looked up at the worried Rory and gave him a half hearted smile before holding his hand out in a silent request to be helped up.

Rory hesitated to take the Doctor's hand after seeing him use it to shock his own heart back into gear, but he did anyway and pulled the Doctor back up. Making his way back over to the railing the Doctor put his elbows on it and leaned on them heavily. He stared out at Gallifrey and the blue storm that ensnared it. He knew he should be panicked, but at the moment he felt like it was taking all his energy just to stay standing let alone worry about their impending death.

"Doctor?" Rory asked. "Doctor, what is that? What's happening?"

"What?" The Doctor asked vacantly.

"What is happening to Gallifrey?"

"Gallifrey?" Ithican repeated in shock.

"Ah...well...Gallifrey...it's complicated..." The Doctor took a moment to catch his breath. "As you know you can't reach a point in time that's been Time Locked using time travel. And this one, this Time Lock is the most Universe altering of them all, it sent ripples through all of space and time, caused it so history could be more easily rewritten, closed the bridges between parallel Universes. Gallifrey wasn't just ended in the present moment of the Lock, but deep into her past, far into her future. When I set off The Moment the explosion that happened occurred in Past, Present, and Future. When I say I'm the *last* Time Lord I really mean that, there are no others, not even in the *past*, they are gone, locked away, destroyed by the power of The Moment and the Time Lock that prevents any and all change. We are myth to most because of it. You simply can not get to any of Gallifrey's history, or to any time and place that has been Time Locked as it has..."

"You said that already, but I still don't understand." Rory admitted.

"It can't be done, ever, there are safe guards, there are rules, unbreakable rules, that includes traveling to the distant past and then just waiting for the future to happen. I should have thought of this, I can be so *slow* at times, even when I was a full Time Lord. I told you before that we shouldn't be able to come here, I remember saying that, this is part of that reason. I guess I thought we'd have more time, but that doesn't really make sense either since time here is fixed, I don't know..."

"Doctor, you're rambling." Rory interrupted. "Make is simple for me. This is Rory you're talking to."

"We're about to bump into the Last Great Time War Time Lock."

"Bump into? That doesn't sound so bad."

"Yeah, I was trying to phrase it in a way that would keep you calm."

"How serious is it really?" Rory asked.

"Think more along the lines of a bug and windshield type collision."

"Any chance we get to be the windshield in your little analogy?"

"Oh Rory, such optimistic thinking, you know that really is what I love about you, a glass full kind of guy, you really are just top notch." The Doctor beamed with a sad smile. "Amy couldn't have found better."

"Uh...thanks...I guess. But..."

"But to answer the question: no, we are definitely the bug...a tiny one at that."


	39. Chapter 39

NOTE: Again, sorry about the wait! Things always get more difficult near the end of a story!

* * *

Chapter Thirty-nine

"Aleena?"

Amy had a hold of Aleena's hand and once again they were back in the lab, but unlike in real time it was no longer torn apart. Although she didn't have any clear memories of the similar experience that she'd had with the Doctor now that she was back Amy found it somewhat familiar. Aleena however was staring just over her shoulder with a look of pure horror pained on her suddenly colourless face. She looked like she was about to pass out, she gripped down on Amy's hand painfully tight. Fearing that she knew what Aleena was looking at Amy swallowed hard and went to turn to see.

Even though she had been dealing with the aftermath for days nothing could have prepared Amy for the sight before her now. Frozen in time the Doctor was caught in a moment of terror as he stared down in disbelief at the dagger hilts in his chest. Crimson blood hung from his parted lips, stopped on its journey to the floor by the strange motionless pause that the memory seemed stuck in. Transfixed by the horrifying scene Amy automatically reached out to remove the blades, but stopped as she reminded herself that this was just a memory. Aleena squeezed her hand in a sign of support.

"Amy, I'm sorr..."

Aleena was cut off as Amy whipped around and lashed out with her free hand to strike her across the face as hard as she could. Nearly thrown off balance by the force of the blow Aleena only managed to stay standing by keeping her hold on Amy's hand and using her to keep herself standing. Aleena brought her free hand up and gingerly pressed it against her now bright red cheek. Amy was panting for breath she was so angry.

"Amy, plea..."

"No! The Doctor may have forgiven you, but I *never* will!" Amy snarled passionately. "So stop wasting your breath trying to apologize, it's just making me angrier!"

"You don't understa..."

"I don't want to understand." Amy interrupted icily. "I just want to get this over with so I can take my boys and get them both as far from you as Space and Time will allow!"

Aleena took a breath to say more, but thought better of it and just nodded. Amy turned her attention back to the Doctor, but she wasn't sure what she could learn from the gory statue. She reached out touch him but her hand just passed through the still image. Still looking at the Doctor she tried to pull her hand out of Aleena's, but the frightened women held on tight.

"Let me go." Amy demanded.

"We will probably just wake up if I do."

"No, this memory is frozen, I think the only way to get it free is to let go of each other."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know." Amy admitted. "The Doctor and I did this whole memory share thing before, I just don't remember it well, but maybe I learned it then. In any case I want you to let go, now."

Aleena still resisted releasing her hold so Amy just twisted herself free. The instant she did the Doctor jerked to life. Like a movie that had been on pause being set to play once again everything was set into motion. Bringing his head up the Doctor looked right through Amy and tried to speak. Amy's eyes stung with tears as the Doctor silently pleaded for help. Worse than just being in pain he looked terrified which was not something Amy was used to seeing. No matter what the odds they had faced he had always at least done so with a calm facade.

"W...why won't he die?" Aleena asked anxiously.

"I don't know, this should be impossible." Jackles replied. "No Time Lord should be able to survive with both hearts punctured, but according to this his hearts are still beating..."

"Do something!" Aleena demanded.

Amy turned around and was surprised to find that Jackles had joined them. A quick wave of her hand in front of Aleena's face told Amy that everyone else was stuck in the memory and she was little more than a ghost. Crossing her arms over her sour stomach Amy took step back to watch the scene play out. Just as helpless the Doctor looked back and forth between Jackles and Aleena as he continued to gape for breath, his skin started to glow gold but it faded quickly.

"Do you want me to try and save him or..." Jackles anxiously left the question open ended.

"We can't save him, not after all we've put him through."

"What are these daggers made of? They certainly aren't regular metal, his lindos levels are off the charts again..."

"I don't care about his hormone levels!" Aleena snapped. "I just want him dead, quickly!"

"Or this could be a second chance..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Jackles said quickly.

"Jackles, do something, please...he...he's suffering."

"He's been suffering for days." Jackles replied matter of factly as he continued to inspect the console readouts with growing interest. "You didn't care before, you didn't stay to watch, but you certainly knew what what was happening. You also didn't listen to me when I said I needed more time to do this right. So why do you suddenly care if he's in pain?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Aleena hissed. "Enough is enough, it's time to stop. We have what we need from him for the Age Lock, and he is the last of his kind so I no long need his power for myself to stop the Time Lords from hunting us."

"No others?" Jackles repeated. "So this is truly our last chance."

"Last chance for what? You already have the energy you need to release the Age Lock, right?"

"I...uh..." Jackles hesitated.

"I brought you back in here to put him out of his misery!" Aleena interrupted impatiently. "You told me you had a blood poison that could neutralize him quickly if anything went wrong, well something has gone wrong!"

"No, it's finally gone right." Jackles corrected as he tapped on the console. "These blades have changed something."

"Jackl..."

"I was ready to give up, but I see now that I'm destined to continue until the job is done."

"What aren't you telling me, Jackles?"

"Just leave, I'll take care of him."

Amy didn't like the ice Jackles' voice and it was clear the Doctor didn't either. He had been working to calm himself while Aleena had been asking Jackles to euthanize him, but now that Jackles was looking to continue the nightmare he panicked. Jackles' full attention was taken up by the various monitors that had jumped to life when the Doctor started fighting for freedom.

"Look at that..." Jackles muttered to himself. "I wonder..."

Jackles stopped the Doctor's thrashing by typing a command into the console that started up the device again and instantly sent him into a violent seizure. Amy had to turn away as a thick pink foam erupted from the Doctor's lips as he continued to convulse. Although looking away she couldn't block out the sound of the shallow wet gasps that the Doctor managed despite the blood or the noise of his struggling as he kicked against the table under the continued effects of Jackles' radiation device.

"Stop it!" Amy cried out uselessly. "Stop!"

"What are you doing?!" Aleena demanded. "You're making it worse!"

"I can't have you here right now, Aleena, you're a distraction." Jackles replied without looking up from his console. "Something's happening, a new energy pattern. I need to concentrate. Please leave."

"No! Stop this!" Aleena ordered. "Turn it off now!"

Aleena looked shocked when Jackles didn't instantly follow her orders. She looked at the Doctor who was trying to scream but was terrifyingly voiceless. Aleena brought her hand up and stared down at the pattern burned in her palm. Amy watched as Aleena tried to decide what to do next. The Doctor gave up on yanking at his restraints as his skin began dripping in gold again, looking exhausted he stared pleadingly at Aleena before his eye rolled back to white as another wave of tremours overtook him.

"Help him." Amy begged Aleena. "Please."

"Jackles, if you don't stop I will bring Ithican down here to sto..."

Aleena was cut off by a flash of white. Amy was just as confused as Aleena when they both found themselves on the other side of the locked metal lab door. Aleena figured out what happened quicker than Amy and went to the console and tried to use it to call Ithican, only to find it disabled. The entire corridor was off limits to any other than Ithican and it could take hours for him to realize that something was wrong. Aleena slammed her hand against the locked door.

"Jackles!" Aleena cried. "Stop! Please! He's not the merciless enemy I thought he was! Jackles! Jackles, please! I promised him release in death, we can't keep tormenting him!"

"You shouldn't have started in the first place!" Amy spat bitterly at Aleena.

"Jackles!" Aleena whimpered. "I...I made mistake...please...I changed my mind, give me another chance to pull the Blades out. Let me try to save him..."

Jackles didn't respond from the far side of the door. There was a sudden spray of warm gold dust that escaped out from under the door causing Aleena to jump back in alarm. Amy closed her eyes and cross her arms over her stomach again after the Doctor suddenly cried out properly having momentarily managed to regenerate his congested lungs. The Doctor didn't get a chance to catch his breath for long as they could hear him choking once more. Defeated Aleena turned her back on the door and slid to the floor. Pulling her knees up to her chest she hid her face in her crossed arms and wept bitterly. Amy looked down at Aleena and felt a slight pang of pity.

"You really are insane, aren't you?" Amy sighed. "Don't get me wrong, I still hate you, but I'm starting to see what the Doctor was talking about. Two hundred years worth of thoughts and emotions, you can't keep one in your head for more than a minute."

Amy flinched as she heard another strangled cry of anguish from the far side of the locked door. She didn't see how any of this had helped and part of her hoped that the effects of the Zero Room didn't extend here and that she simply wouldn't remember what she'd seen. Amy knew the Doctor wanted to know what happened to cause the time jump, but it was looking more and more like Jackles was the only one who knew that.

"I don't want to have to do this again." Amy whimpered. "Don't make me do this with Jackles as well."

_'He's too selfish to spare you, but I can save you.'_

Amy gasped at the sound of the 'Doctor's' voice that had seemed to be sourceless. Looking around she backed into the hallway wall when she caught sight of the Doctor standing in the shadow of the near by arch way. He stepped out and revealed the blades embedded in his chest that were seeping blood through his shirt with every beat of his hearts. The Vale Doctor started to come closer but he stopped when Amy tensed in fright.

'_I'm not going to hurt you.'_

The Vale didn't move his lips when he spoke, Amy could just hear his voice. Confused and frightened it took all of Amy's courage not to take off running down the corridor. The creature before her looked like the Doctor, but there was something wrong beyond the blades. Unsure of what else to do Amy held her ground.

"Doctor?"

The Vale just shook his head causing blood to drip from his lips.

"Who are you?"

_'I'm still working that out.'_ He replied in Amy's mind. _'However I will not be yoked with that ridiculous title, not after what the Doctor did to me.'_

"I...I don't understand..." Amy stuttered in fear.

_'I don't expect you to. Right now all I need is for you to relay a message to the Doctor.'_

"Um...okay. Tell me what it is."

'_It doesn't work that way. For one thing, I can't let you tell him I'm in here.'_

"I don't even know who you are."

_'He will know, and he'd stop at nothing to kill me if he found out. So I'm going to rewrite your memory of what happened here, all you will have to do is tell him what you remember.'_

Amy had started slowly moving towards Aleena in hopes that touching her would freeze the scene the way it had before. The Vale Doctor saw what she was doing, but it didn't seem to phase him. Amy was just about to make her move to dive at Aleena who was still sitting on the floor when the Vale was suddenly on her. In literally no time he had gone from several feet away to pinning her against the wall.

"Please, you don't have to do this."

_'I do, more than that, I find that I want to, and it is going to be painful.'_

"Wait, yo...you said you weren't going to hurt me." Amy protested as she fought to escape his powerful grip.

'_I lied, but that's my nature.'_ The Vale smiled cruelly. _'After all, rule one: The Doctor lies.'_

"You're not Doctor!"

'_Well, it's complicated...'_


	40. Chapter 40

NOTE: Another late night writing! The things I do for you people! Ah, but you are worth it dear readers. Hugs to you all!

* * *

Chapter Forty

"Doctor..."

Ignoring Rory the Doctor continued to down the cold sweet nectar in an attempt to quiet his gnawing hunger.

"Doctor, are you sure you should..."

Holding his hand up to silence Rory the Doctor dropped the empty glass and instantly picked up the next. Barely stopping for a breath he gulped at the thick syrup.

"Doctor, you said two was you limit and that one makes five."

"I can't stomach more than one, and I've never seen anyone drink more than three glasses at one meal and not throw up." Ithican added in awe. "And we're used to it."

The Doctor rolled his eyes at the pair as he sucked down the last of his fifth glass. He could feel his stomach turning, but he wasn't about to admit it. Finishing the drink he belched loudly, but he managed to keep it all down. Rory and Ithican exchanged an uneasy glance with one another.

"Okay, much better." The Doctor announced. "I can think a lot more clearly about our situation now. I always get a little wonky when I get hungry and I've been getting really hungry lately. Let's get started."

"Started?" Rory asked. "I figured we were all just going to die."

"What?"

"I got the same impression, Doctor." Ithican added.

"What put that idea in your heads?" The Doctor demanded.

"Uh...the part where you said we were a bug versus a windshield." Rory pointed out. "I didn't really see us coming out on top in that scenario."

"After all the nice things I said about you, Rory, don't lose your positive attitude on me now." The Doctor chastised. "Being the bug is good, you want to be the bug in this situation!"

"You do?"

"Of course! The bug has a spark of intelligence, the bug has life and life is the most precious thing no matter how small. The windshield is just a big inanimate thoughtless sheet of glass."

"But what can a bug do against a giant sheet of glass?"

"I suggest getting out of the way."

The Doctor turned away from Rory and Ithican and headed out of dinning area and out into the hall. Rory and Ithican hurried to catch up with the Doctor's fast paced walk. The hallway was abandoned as Tarin and the others had moved all the citizens to the center levels of the ship to keep them as protected from the snaps of energy from Gallifrey as possible. As the Doctor walked briskly down the hall he ran his hand along the smooth metal wall.

"Doctor?" Ithican asked. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm actually looking to see if something finds me."

"What?"

"Don't bother asking for clarification." Rory advised.

"Keep a few feet back." The Doctor ordered as he continued to run his hand along the wall.

"Doctor, how much time do we have before we hit the Time Lock thing?" Ithican asked.

"It's not just a Time Lock, it's the residual of an explosion that was so powerful that the entire Universe convulsed as Gallifrey, the Time Lords, and the Daleks were destroyed, and not just at the time of the explosion but deep into the past. About five billion years into as it would appear since we are looking at the tail end of it now." The Doctor answered a completely different question. "It left all of history more vulnerable to change, placed time itself in flux. It's not easy to drive a species that is knit into the fabric of Time itself into extinction, but destroying their past all the way back to the beginning is certainly one way, and that's exactly what happened. Time will forever bleed from the wound where the Time Lords were cut out of it, the Universe will never heal."

"Wait, I don't understand." Ithican picked up pace to match stride with the Doctor. "If the past was destroyed...how did you survive?"

Keeping his hand on the wall the Doctor stopped in his tracks. Rory suddenly realized that he had never bothered to ask the Doctor how he had survived the destruction of Gallifrey or the Time War. He had never really understood how the whole Time Lock thing worked to start with. He had always just accepted that the Doctor lived. The Doctor looked at Ithican with an unreadable expression on his face. Ithican took a breath to apologize for asking but he didn't get the chance.

"Sheer luck." The Doctor replied quietly. "Or utter lack there of...depending on how you look at it."

Ithican could hear the pain in the Doctor's voice and felt even worse for having asked in the first place. Although Ithican knew he was physically hundreds of times older than the Doctor he could seen now that the Time Lord was his elder in experience by far. Knowing no apology would be sincere enough Ithican gave the Doctor a deep bow of a respect instead. The Doctor smiled warmly and returned the gesture.

"Uh, Doctor..." Rory said anxiously "that thing you were looking to see if it found you...is it kinda of a blue glowy thing?"

"Wha..." The Doctor looked at his hand on the wall that was starting to glow. "Yes, that is exactly what I was expecting. Ithican, Rory, no matter what happens stay back."

Unlike Amy, Ithican and Rory did not need to be told twice to back away when the Doctor gave the order. When the men had retreated to a safe distance of about twenty feet the Doctor put both of his palms on the wall and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath he poured all of his concentration into harnessing the rift energy that had become attracted to him. Ithican and Rory watched in fascination as thin streaks of blue lightning drew from the far corners of the wall panel towards the Doctor's hands.

The longer the Doctor stayed in contact with the wall the more of the dark blue glow gathered and pulsed in the metal around his palms. The effort it was taking to draw and harness the energy was obvious as the Doctor began to breath heavily, but whatever he was trying to do it seemed to Rory and Ithican that it was working. Rory was just starting to get his hopes up when the crystal around the Doctor's neck started to glow an intense white. A white arc of lightning jumped up from his copper cuffs to the crystal causing the Doctor to jerk.

"Doctor?"

"Stay back!"

The Doctor managed to keep his palms against the wall but the snaps of lightning from the bracelets to the crystal started to become more frequent and violent. When the Doctor finally cried out in pain Rory stepped forward to help him. Ithican grabbed Rory by the upper arm to stop him. Pushing against the now bright blue wall the Doctor roared as the bio-force sent a near continuous white stream of electricity between his wrists and chest. Rory tried to twist out of Ithican's hold, but the ancient guard was far too powerful.

"We have to help him!" Rory protested.

"He ordered us to stay back, no matter what."

"Let me go!"

"I will not."

"Doctor! Doctor!"

Too focused on what he was doing the Doctor didn't hear Rory's calls of concern. His time in the Zero Room had given him a much greater amount of control over the powerful current that he could produce, but he still couldn't quite tame it. The more concentration he placed into the rift energy the less he had left to put into controlling the bio-force. Determined to finish what he started he bowed his head and weld his eyes shut as he tried to ignore the searing heat from the bio-force.

The crystal around the Doctor's neck began vibrating so violently that it started singing. With both the rift energy and the bio-force tearing at him the Doctor threw his head back and screamed. As the rift energy reached it critical point it turned from blue to an angry red colour. Feeling as though someone had just poured molten gold down his back the Doctor wailed in agony.

"Doctor!" Rory cried.

Ithican was forced to wrap his arms around Rory's waist to keep him back. There was a sudden blinding flash followed by a pulse that sent all three men flying backward. Rory and Ithican landed in a tangled heap on the floor. Closer to the source the Doctor slammed into the wall behind him with bone crushing force. Falling to the floor he fought to stay awake as his shattered body slowly tried to repair itself. Finally free of Ithican Rory rushed to the Doctor's side and started to run his hands over him with a light medical touch. Having landed on his side the Doctor spit up a mouthful of blood on the floor as he closed his eyes.

"Ow." The Doctor complained.

"Oh god, Doctor, don't move." Rory fretted. "Your back must be broken in over a dozen places, ribs are crushed, your shoulder is dislocated...I...I'm not sure there is anything you didn't just break, and those are just the bones I can feel, the organ damage..."

The Doctor sought out Rory's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze to stop him from cataloging his injuries, he was well aware of what was broken. Despite Rory's protests the Doctor struggled to try and roll over onto his back. Giving in with a sigh Rory helped the Doctor with his wishes and guided him onto his back. The Doctor gasped sharply as the change in position lanced pain through his dislocated shoulder and injured ribs. Ithican came up and knelt down next to Doctor as well. Unsure of how to help he just waited for instruction.

"Is...is it gone?" The Doctor asked Ithican.

"Is what gone?" Rory asked confused.

"The wall. Is the wall gone?"

"He's delirious." Rory sighed.

"Um...no, he isn't." Ithican said as he looked over his shoulder. "The wall is gone. Where did it go?"

"I sent it into the future." The Doctor said with pride as he closed his eyes. "Cool, eh?"

"That is...amazing." Rory agreed. "But at what cost?"

"Just give me a minute," the Doctor whispered "I'll be okay."

"What can I do?"

"Set my shoulder."

Rory hesitated to add to the Doctor's pain when normally there wouldn't be any point to putting such a critically wounded patient through such a procedure since internal bleeding was probably the biggest threat at the moment. However he knew the Doctor wasn't the average patient and that it would probably greatly speed things along. Rory took the Doctor's injured hand and encouraged him to make a fist with it. Taking a firm hold of the Doctor's wrist he bent his elbow into ninety degree angle so that it rested against his stomach.

"Take a deep breath and relax as best you can."

Taking the breath was harder than relaxing as his snapped ribs protested noisily, but he managed. Rory slowly rotated the Doctor's arm and shoulder outward causing him to grind his teeth together as he applied pressure to the already angry joint. Continuing with the outward rotation once he had the Doctor's arm just past ninety degrees from his chest Rory pulled down slightly on the Doctor upper arm and his shoulder snapped suddenly back into place.

The crack of pain when to joint settled back into place instantly cascaded the Doctor into regeneration event. Ithican yelped in alarm and pulled Rory away as the Doctor was enveloped by the sparkling golden glow. Crying out the Doctor stretched out as the painful rebirth of regeneration washed over him. When it was over he felt like something was different this time, there was something missing but he was having trouble figuring out what. He looked up at Rory who was looking down on him with concern.

"Ginger?"

"Nope." Rory shook his head. "Still just you."

"I don't understand, that felt like the real thing."

"It looked like it too." Rory agreed. "Except you didn't change."

"How are your injuries?" Ithican asked.

"Healed, but it really isn't supposed to work like this...I'll worry about it later." The Doctor decided as he sat up. "Okay, I've proven that I can force at least part of the ship into the Vortex."

"Right up until it threw you into the wall with enough force to break nearly every bone you own." Rory pointed out. "There is no way you are going to affect the whole ship before it kills you."

"I did it before. Anyway, it wasn't the rift energy that sent me flying, it was the bio-force." The Doctor looked down and tapped on the sonic crystal. "This crystal isn't powerful enough to hold it. I need something better, a Tricim cube, or a Dilitium Solid, or a..."

"How about a Nova Diamond?" Ithican asked.

"Oh yeah, a Nova Diamond would be perfect, but unfortunately they are insanely rare and I don't have a Nova Diamond."

"I do."

Ithican reached inside his shirt and pulled out the diamond encased in its silver prison that he was wearing around his neck. He had taken it from the cabinet in Aleena's stateroom when he had thought that she was dead and that the Doctor was still a threat. Taking the necklace off he held it out and offered it to the Doctor. Jumping to his feet in excitement the Doctor snatched the crystal from Ithican and stared at it in awe.

"Ithican, I could kiss you!"

"Careful, he will." Rory warned.

"Please don't." Ithican said seriously.

"Why do you have this?" The Doctor asked. "How do you have this? I don't even have one of these in the TARDIS, and I have a *lot* of stuff in there!"

"Aleena had it. I was going to drain the TARDIS energy into it and use it against you."

"I'm glad you decided to be on my side, you would be a formidable enemy."

"The same can be said of you, and I am equally grateful."

The Doctor smiled at Ithican. He took the sonic crystal off and slipped on the Nova Diamond. After a few tweaks with the sonic he tested the Nova Diamond and discovered that he could channel the bio-force energy without the use of the copper dampener bracelets. Removing the bracelets he rubbed at his wrists. He was grateful to have them off, he had not enjoyed having the tight metal cuffs on.

"Now all we nee..."

The Doctor was cut off as the whole ship was rocked by a violent burst of rift energy from the surface of Gallifrey. After the initial shockwave the streaks of blue lightning that had occasionally run along the outer most hull of the ship now raced down this more inner corridor. The ship shudder again. Ithican helped both the Doctor and Rory stay on their feet as the ship rolled and pitched under their feet.

"Doctor, we are running out of time." Ithican said with amazing calm. "What more do you need?"

"Technically nothing, I can try this right from here. It would just be better if I had some way to 'connect' with the whole ship. I know that sounds crazy. The cable that I had hooked to the TARDIS was connected to most of the ship's circuits, but it burned out during the Haldon burst."

"Doctor," Rory said "Jackles said something about the table in the lab being special, that it was wired to the entire ship."

"What?"

"I was trying to tell you that earlier. His Age Lock experiment had already failed, he was sure of it. He said that the table was part of it, it transferred regeneration energy throughout the whole ship."

Without wasting any more time the Doctor used the sonic to transport all three of them back to the lab. The table was twisted and broken but with the sonic he was able to undo the bolts that held it to the floor. With Ithican and Rory's help they were able to pull the heavy metal base up from the floor and reveal the mass of translucent cables connected underneath.

"Ithican, do you have a knife to cut these?" The Doctor asked after he failed to yank them free.

"No...wait, yes." Ithican replied as he put his hand on the hilt of the Vale Blade tucked in his belt. "Where did I get this?"

"Never mind, just start cutting these free." The Doctor ordered as the ship rocked again.

Ithican nodded and knelt down next to the over turned table base. Using the curved dagger he began cutting his way through the myriad of cables. The Doctor scanned the odd milky white translucent cables and checked the readings before nodding. He checked the Nova Diamond once more and was satisfied with the way it was absorbing his excess bio-energy. With everything as under control as possible he walked over to the melted console.

"Rory, come here, I need you to do something for me."

"Anything. What do you need?"

"I need you to listen and obey."

"Uh...okay."

"There is a good chance that this is going to work and that I can pull this ship back into the time it's meant to be in."

"Brilliant."

"Rory, I said 'listen' not 'talk'."

"Sorry."

"With the recent Haldon burst the residual radiation will make it easier to bring the Minyas with us this time, so that should be taken care of. Now as for the Age Lock, it may be reversed by this jump since Jackles clearly did something to everyone it could be the Time Lock interfering. If not tell Aleena to go to the Eilssian System, repeat that."

"Eilssian System."

"Remember that. In the Eilssian System she needs to go to the seventh planet and find Uru of the Heximal Association. Have her tell him everything about the Age Lock and that the Doctor is calling in his favour. If anyone can reverse it, it's Uru."

"Wait...why are you talking like you aren't going to be around to do this?"

"Rory, repeat that." The Doctor said sternly.

"Eilssian System, seventh planet, Uru of the Dex..."

"Heximal." The Doctor corrected.

"Heximal Association."

"Again."

"Eilssian System, seventh planet, Uru of the Heximal Association."

"Once more."

"Eilssian System, seventh plant, Uru of the Heximal Association." Rory repeated once more. "Doctor..."

"Once you have set the Minyas on their path the TARDIS will take you home." The Doctor took out this sonic and adjusted it before giving it to Rory. "Just point at the console and think, she'll fly for you this once."

"Doctor, you can't die..."

"This probably won't kill me, however there is a good chance that I will lose my memory, or worse my sanity."

"Wait, what?!"

"Doctor," Ithican called "I'm through the cables."

"I'm coming." The Doctor called back.

Turning back to Rory the Doctor didn't bother holding back the tears that suddenly slipped down his face. Rory wanted to ask for an explanation about this sudden danger to the Doctor's sanity but he found himself speechless. The Doctor pulled Rory into a warm embrace that Rory did not have the time or presence of mind to react to. The Doctor released Rory from the hug and held him a little less that arm's distance away. The Doctor forced a brave smile.

"Doct..."

"Tell Amy I love her. I'd tell you to take care of her, but I know you will." The Doctor kissed Rory's forehead affectionately. "Thank you both *so* much."

"For...for what?"

"Everything."


	41. Chapter 41

NOTE: You all have your personal favourite chapters from your comments...well *this* is my personal favourite chapter! Enjoy!

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Chapter Forty-one

"Ithican, give me your hand."

Ithican didn't hesitate to give the Doctor his hand although he did give him a questioning look. Taking Ithican's hand the Doctor placed it on the front of his left shoulder just below his collar bone. The Doctor adjusted Ithican's hand placement slightly. The ship rocked again, but the Doctor seemed to think this was important.

"Press into my shoulder with your fingertips." The Doctor requested.

"I'll hurt you if I do." Ithican noted.

"So Jackles wasn't the only one who knew about this particular Time Lord weakness." The Doctor noted in mild surprise. "It's a well guarded secret."

"The Time Lords have very few secrets from the Minyas."

"Then you know what to do."

"I do."

"I don't." Rory spoke up. "I don't know what to do, and I don't know what you're talking about, I don't know what's going on, and frankly I don't like any of this. Doctor, what's all this about losing your sanity?"

"I have a tenuous grip on it to begin with." The Doctor shrugged as he went over to the ripped up table and started to pull at the translucent cables in the floor.

"Doctor, seriously."

"I'm about to use my body as a time machine, Rory." The Doctor explained in an exasperated tone as he knelt down in the cables and continued to arrange them. "Basically I'll be opening myself up to the Untempered Schism. Something I hoped to never do again."

"Again? So you've done this and lived before...that's good."

"It's something all young Time Lords go through and it's terrifying."

"Terrifying?"

"You stand before the whole of the Vortex, all of Space and Time and just stare into it. Some are inspired, some run away, others go mad...mostly I ran away, but I certainly got a touch of the other two as well." The Doctor smiled sadly. "I survived it then, but this time will be different."

"Why?"

"I'm not a full Time Lord, and I won't just be looking at it, I'll be a part of it."

Rory took a breath to protest the Doctor taking this particular risk but the ship bucked violently beneath them. Kneeling on the floor in the mass of tangled cables the Doctor laced his fingers into them and grabbed a hold of as many as he could. Gripping tightly he closed his eyes and called to the rift energy that was currently battering up against the ship. He could feel it racing towards him as it answered the command.

Ithican and Rory backed away as the floor and ceiling streaked with blue energy that dove into the cables where the Doctor kept them in a vice like grip. As the cables turned blue they filled with a life of their own and began to writhe like restless snakes. Sweat beaded against the Doctor's skin and started to drip from his hair as he continued to pour his concentration into gathering the powerful time energy and forcing it through the cables to the rest of the ship.

Trembling with the effort it was taking to contain and command the rift energy the Doctor tried to block out the sharp pain developing in his right side. When the pain intensified he realized that his weak second heart was failing again. Unable to release the cables the Doctor just pressed his arm against his ribs as best he could as the galloping heart made it increasingly difficult to concentrate. He was still able to hold the blue charge on the cable, but he wasn't sure how he was going to give it the extra push it needed to reverse the polarity to flow them forward through time. Running out of time and strength the Doctor strained to tear the rift from blue to red.

The energy surrounding his hands seared an agonizing red for a moment before snapping back to the cooling blue. The Doctor cried out as his left primary heart stumbled in its rhythm under the stress as well. As both hearts shuddered in an unnatural spasms he could feel the regeneration energy building for a release again. Keeping a white knuckled grip on the cables the Doctor collapsed back into the pile of living cables.

Fearing that he would lose his hold on the captured rift if he let a regeneration take over the Doctor was forced to split his concentration between containing the two competing energies. The Nova Diamond around his neck was able to hold vast amounts of bio-energy but even the stone was starting to glow and heat. Trying to control all three powerful forces while his physical body failed the Doctor arched back and screamed as it finally tore his chest open. Feeling a cold touch he jerked and cried out again.

"It's okay, Doctor, it's me."

"Rory...no..." The Doctor protested weakly.

"Shut up. I know a heart attack when I see one, or two."

Rory ripped open the shirt that the Doctor had been given by Aleena. He needed a clear view of the Doctor's chest and ribs to make sure that he sunk the two small auto-syringes that held an epinephrine like substance in them in just the right spots. Figuring out what Rory was trying to do the Doctor stopped fighting against him and switched all his focus into holding onto the rift energy. Gripping one auto-syringe in each fist Rory placed one over each heart with his thumbs over the triggers.

"Good luck, Doctor."

Rory set off the strong alien epinephrine auto-syringes simultaneously. The effect was like being kicked in the chest by a minotaur with an attitude. Gasping sharply the Doctor yanked at the cables that instantly turned fire red. With a blinding flash the Doctor's mind reeled with a sickening dizziness. Suddenly finding himself tossed into a dark stormy sea the Doctor fought to reach the surface before he drown. He gasped a single breath before a unknown beast yanked him back down into the depths.

Grabbed roughly by the upper arms the Doctor was pulled from the turbulent waters, but he didn't feel like he'd been rescued. If anything he felt in more danger now as he was thrown into the desolate burning sands of a silent and dead world. The violent changes in scenery and situation spun around the Doctor as he struggled with his own thoughts and memories.

Before he had a chance to orient or remember that he was meant to be focusing on pulling the the Minyan ship through the Vortex he slipped down through the sand and landed hard on a red marble floor that was inlaid with intricate gold circles and lines. Getting to his hands and knees he retched bright green onto the polished floor. Panting for breath the Doctor weld his eyes shut against the continuous shifting.

"Help me..."

Far from finding help the Doctor was seized once again by the invisible force and dragged through time and space. Locked behind a glass door he was briefly relieved to see the familiar friendly face of Wilfred Mott, however when he realized what was about to happen he panicked. The Doctor slammed his palm against the glass as the deadly radiation poured through his skin.

Falling once more the Doctor lashed out in an attempt to grab a hold of anything solid. Someone caught his wrist and stopped his deadly decent. The Doctor looked up and found the Master looking down on him with a cruel smile. The Master hauled the Doctor up onto jagged edge of a shale mountain that over looked a world that had been burned to ashes. The Master carded his hand into the Doctor's hair affectionately and smiled brightly.

"You can't hide from him." The Master purred. "None of us can."

"Don't do this..."

"Too late, Doctor, it's already done."

Completely lost in the nightmare the Doctor turned to run from his friend turned foe. Slipping on the loose shale stones of the steep slope he lost his footing and tumbled down with the sound of the Master's laughter ringing in his ears. Landing in a tangled heap in a dark ship interior the Doctor looked up and found himself at the base of a Dalek. He scrambled back as the Dalek took notice of him.

"EXTERMINATE!"

The Doctor jerked violently as the Dalek fired a bolt at him. Rather than death the scene simple changed once more. Standing on the gray sand shore of a calm ocean the Doctor turned around as he tried to adjust to his new world. It wasn't until he spotted Rose walking away with his Meta-crisis self that he even recognized the outline of Bad Wolf Bay.

"Rose..."

The Doctor took a step off the beach and into the Vashta Nerada infested library where River sat dead having sacrificed herself to save the others.

"River..."

He hadn't known her then, but he knew her now and reached out to touch her and instead found himself reaching for Amy's shoulder. Blinking against the sudden sunlight he looked around the unfamiliar graveyard. Amy had her back to him but she quickly turned around, her eyes streaked with tears.

"Raggedy Man...good-bye."

The Doctor stood in shock as Amy vanished, seemingly replaced by statue of an angel reaching out for him.

"A...Amy?"

Horrified by what he'd seen the Doctor took a step back. he tripped over something and fell backwards into the snow. Getting to his knees he saw that he fallen over the body of a small dark haired woman in victorian dress. He didn't recognize her, but she was clearly gravely injured. Terrified that her impending death was his fault the Doctor bowed his head and tangled his hands into his hair as grief was replaced by madness.

"Stop it! Stop!" The Doctor begged. "Please!"

When he was taken again the Doctor screamed and bucked against his captors in a mixture of fear and rage. Turning violent the Doctor blindly lashed out at his unseen foes. Tumbling through time and memories of past, present, and future he was eventually held down long enough to have his arms restrained behind his back by tight binds at both the wrist and elbows. Forced through a set of almost impossibly tall golden doors the Doctor found himself in the private study of Rassilon himself. Forgetting the rest of the confusion he fell into the powerful memory as if it was happening for the first time.

"Lord Rassilon, this is a misunderstanding, I've done nothing wrong. Please, you have to let me go."

"Not until you tell me where you've been going, who you've been talking to, what you've been doing."

"I've been fighting the Daleks just like everyone else."

"Lie to the others all you want, but don't you *dare* lie to me." Rassilon hissed dangerously. "What have you been doing behind my back, 'Doctor'?"

"Trying to save as much life as I can."

"That's not what I've heard." Rassilon sneered.

"I promise, I am doing my best to do what's right."

"And just what do you consider 'right'?"

"We are tearing apart the Universe, it has to stop."

"You would see us all destroyed, yourself included, to end this War wouldn't you?"

When the Doctor hesitated to answer Rassilon clearly felt he had his answer. He rushed up to the Doctor with all the power of an angry lion. For the first time in his long life the Doctor took a step back in true fear.

"Lord Ra..."

"I should have you thrown to the Daleks!" Rassilon spat at the Doctor. "You're more one of them than one of us!"

"Me?!" The Doctor snarled in sudden indignity. "I am not the one who is planing to destroy the rest of creation in the name of 'winning' the War! What is the point of the Universe if we are the only thing left in it?!"

"So...you have heard of the Ultimate Sanction." Rassilon said calmly. "Such intelligence is not yours to have. Where did you get it? Answer me."

The Doctor stared silently at first Time Lord.

"Traitor!" Rassilon roared when the Doctor remained silent.

Rassilon lashed out and struck the Doctor hard enough to knock him to the floor. Pouncing on him before he even had a chance to try and get up Rassilon straddled him and sat down on his hips to pin him down. With his arms still bound there was little the Doctor could do against the undeniably powerful Time Lord. With a crazed look in his dark eyes Rassilon tore at the front of the Doctor's clothing.

The Doctor cried out in alarm as Rassilon dug his fingers into the flesh over each of his hearts. Rassilon's hands glowed an intense gold that seared through the Doctor's chest and into his hearts. Thrashing to escape the Doctor didn't see the complicated golden pattern of spirals and lines that Rassilon burned into his skin before they had a chance to sink in and disappear. Having completed his task Rassilon got back to his feet calmly. Breathing heavily the Doctor looked down at his chest, but there was no sign of damage.

"Wha...what did you just do to me?"

"I bestowed you with blessing and a curse, Doctor." Rassilon smiled cruelly. "I will deal with it and you once the War is won...assuming you survive Alkinar Prison that long."

"No!" The Doctor cried as he got to his knees. "You can't take me out of the War now! Besides you know I won't last an hour in Alkinar."

"You do have a number of enemies there, don't you?"

"Enemies you sent me to stop because you were too cowardly to go after them yourse..."

Rassilon had tired of his 'guest' and silenced the Doctor with a brutal kick to the temple. Although knocked into another setting the Doctor's mind remained locked on Rassilon. The once great founder of Time Lord civilization was now a rabid dog and far more dangerous than the entire Dalek Empire. On his knees on a metal floor the Doctor stared down at the translucent cables in his hands.

"Doctor?" Rory asked hesitantly.

The Doctor looked up with unfocused eyes that made Rory nervous. The Doctor dropped the cables that he had been gripping tightly. It took the Doctor a few tries to get to his feet but once he was there he turned a murderous glare on Rory.

"Doctor?" Rory repeated.

"Rassilon..." The Doctor snarled darkly.

"Uh...no...Rory." Rory smiled anxiously. "Remember me? Rory?"

"I don't think he does." Ithican said as he took a step closer to Rory.

"Amy, you must remember Amy." Rory asked hopefully. "What about River?"

Curling his lip to expose his teeth like a junk yard dog looking for a fight the Doctor suddenly launched himself at Rory and Ithican. Rory yelped in surprise, he had never known the Doctor to be physically violent, if anything he went out of his way to avoid such confrontations. Clearly looking for blood now the Doctor rushed Rory with surprising speed.

Ithican stepped between the Doctor and his prey and absorbed the first blow. With hundreds of thousands of years worth of training and practice behind him Ithican thought that taking the Doctor down would be easy. However even in a deranged state the Doctor was not only fast, but also knew his own weak spot and how to protect it.

Attacking with reckless abandon the Doctor quickly had Ithican up against the wall. Trying to help Rory came up from behind to grab the Doctor in a bear hug in hopes of pinning his arms to his sides. Without looking back the Doctor threw his elbow up and caught Rory under the jaw before he could make his move and then brought his fist forward to strike Ithican.

Ducking quickly Ithican narrowly missed a painful punch and the Doctor ended up striking the wall hard enough to break the bone. Ithican used the distraction to get his leg behind the Doctor's and yank him down. Landing hard on his back the Doctor wasted no time in wrapping up Ithican's legs as well and bringing him down to the metal floor. Striking his head on the floor Ithican was knocked mostly senseless.

Once his opponent was no longer a threat the Doctor instantly lost interest in him. Jumping to his feet the Doctor tackled Rory who was just recovering from the shot to the jaw. The pair stumbled back across the broken lab until they tripped on the heap of cables. With the Doctor fighting tooth and nail Rory ended up with the Doctor sitting on his stomach with his hands around his throat. He reached up and tried to pry the Doctor off, but found him to be surprising strong.

"Doc..." Rory gasped painfully.

"I will not let you destroy all life in the Universe for the sake of your own selfish immortality!" The Doctor snarled. "I will see every Time Lord dead at my hand if that's what it takes!"

Starting to black out Rory gave up on trying to get the Doctor's hand off his throat. He desperately searched for a weapon to defend himself with within reach. When his hand came across the cold hilt of the Vale that Ithican had used to cut the cables he gripped it tightly. Even with his own death seconds away Rory was unwilling to risk murdering the Doctor. Bringing the curved blade up he sank it to the hilt into the Doctor's shoulder where he knew he would cause damage and pain but wouldn't strike anything vital.

Gasping in shock the Doctor instantly released his hold on Rory. He reached up and tried to yank the Blade out but it had already started to glow. Coughing and gasping for breathing Rory was grateful when Ithican managed to come over and help. Ithican helped the Doctor lay down on his back as the pattern on his chest gleamed and began to sink back into his skin. The Doctor's eyes rolled back to white as he passed out.

"What's happening?" Ithican asked.

"That must be the Vale Blade." Rory guessed. "You had it all along."

"Does this mean he's going to be okay?"

"No idea."

Rory knelt down next to the Doctor who was breathing easily despite the dagger in his shoulder. He put his ear against the Doctor's chest and could clearly hear two strong heart beats. There was still a small amount of the scaring left on the Doctor's chest, but just a few faded spirals. Rory wasn't sure if he should pull the blade out or not, he wasn't exactly sure how it worked. The Doctor fluttered his eyes open and looked up at Rory wearily.

"Rory?"

"I'm right here."

"Rory..." The Doctor panted as he nearly passed out again. "Rory..."

"It's okay, Doctor. I think the jump worked." Rory said as he took the Doctor's hand. "At least the ship's not rocking anymo..."

"Rory...Amy, where's Amy...I have to warn her." The Doctor rambled. "I have to warn Amy about the Angel..."

"Angel? What Angel?"

"Spoilers..."


	42. Chapter 42

NOTE: Wrote most of this sitting in a coffee shop. Noticed that the woman next to me was watching an episode of Doctor Who on her iPad next to me. I could hear the voice of David Attenbourough in my head "Here we see two Whovians in their natural habitat...the local fair trade coffee shop. Fascinating."

* * *

Chapter Forty-two

"How can you be lost on your own ship?" Ithican asked.

"It's a big ship, really big, in a way it's infinite actually." The Doctor responded defensively. "And I'm not 'lost', I know *exactly* where I am, I just don't know where I'm going, that's not the same as being lost. To be truly lost you have to not know where you are."

"Uh..." Ithican looked to Rory for help but found none.

"And to be fair it's a brand new room that I didn't create, and the last time I didn't have to walk there." The Doctor continued. "And if the transport circuits on your ship had been built better and hadn't blown we'd be there by now."

"My apologizes, Time Lord."

"Don't call me that. I have a name...not that you know it." The Doctor grumbled. "But call me 'Doctor' not 'Time Lord', it's rude. I don't call you 'Minyan' or Rory 'Human', now do I?"

"My deepest apologies, Doctor." Ithican corrected in a respectful tone.

Sonic in hand the Doctor prowled the halls of the TARDIS trying to pick up on a signal from the Zero Room. When he paused at an intersection Rory stepped up to the ill tempered Time Lord cautiously to inspect his hastily bandaged shoulder. The Vale Blade had not come free easily and when it had the wound had not healed the way the previous ones had. Rory had torn off one of the long sleeves of the Doctor's already ruined shirt and tied it across the Doctor's chest in an attempt to slow the bleeding from the injury in the front of his shoulder. Having quickly bled through the wrappings the blood was now soaked down the left side of the white shirt.

"Doctor, you're still bleeding heavily." Rory said concerned.

"I noticed." The Doctor huffed as he continued down the hall. "However, I have more pressing concerns at the moment, like finding your wife."

"If you lose much more blood you won't be able to help us find anyone."

"I'm fine."

"You're really not." Rory insisted. "You need to take care of yourself before Amy and Aleena, you already said that the Zero Room is literally the safest place in the Universe to be. One of the first rules of triage is to tend to the most critical first and that's you, Doctor."

The Doctor turned to Rory to argue and almost lost his balance due to the lightheadedness caused by the quick motion. Ithican was at his side and steadied him, the Doctor pulled away from Ithican's assistance but he had to put his hand on the wall to keep on his feet. Rory gave the Doctor a 'this is exactly what I'm talking about' expression. The Doctor took a breath to protest but instead just rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Fine." The Doctor grumbled.

"Thank you."

Turning around the Doctor lead the pair down a different hallway. The Doctor ducked into a large room that held a vast array of medical equipment. Rory had never seen the room and looked around in fascination at the unfamiliar devices. The Doctor made a bee line for the back table that held a few glass apothecary jars of gauze pads and bottles of unlabeled liquids. Reaching the table the Doctor yanked open the top right drawer. He pulled out a few small terry cloth towels and laid them out of the counter top. Rory came over to help, but the Doctor didn't seem interested in assistance.

Pulling off his already torn blood soaked shirt the Doctor worked off the bandage as well and dropped them both on the floor. Picking up a large glass bottle of pale blue fluid he used his teeth to pull the rubber stopper out before unceremoniously dumping the entire contents of the bottle over his left shoulder to wash off the deep angry wound. Pressing one of the towels to the cleaned injury with his left hand the Doctor rummaged through the drawer for the rest of the tools he needed with his free hand. Fishing out a delicate gun looking device with a slender barrel the Doctor tried to find a way to get a good angle on his injury in order to use it. Jabbing himself with the sharp end he hissed in pain and swore under his breath.

"Uh...do you want me to do that for you?" Rory asked.

"I'm an actual doctor not just 'The Doctor' you know." The Doctor snapped.

"I know, but it might be easier for me since it is in an awkward place for you to be working on."

The Doctor pulled away when Rory tried to take the muscle repair tool from him, but after trying and failing to get a good bond on the wound he was forced to hand it over. Ithican stood back and watched the exchange, it didn't take a medical degree for him to notice how pale the Doctor was or how shallow and rapid his breathing had become. With his full Time Lord status returned he could push himself a lot harder than normale without showing signs of weakness, but it was clear that he still had physical limits and that he might even be reaching them. Rory saw all the same signs that Ithican did as well as dramatic change in the Doctor's temperament. When he put his hand on the Doctor's arm he felt the Doctor's subtle shivering.

"You're in a lot more pain than you're admitting to." Rory stated rather than asked. "Are there any analgesics here that work on Time Lords?"

"Just seal it up, Rory." The Doctor growled darkly.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"I did this to you."

"You did the right thing, Rory." The Doctor sighed in defeat. "I'm not angry with you, honest."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing." The Doctor said unconvincingly. "I can't talk about it."

"Is it about this Angel? What does that even mean anyway? I thought Angels were good."

"Forget about the Angel, Rory, there is no Angel. I was...delirious. I was just talking nonsense."

"So Amy going to be okay?" Rory asked anxiously.

"You know I'd never let anything happen to her."

Rory nodded, fully believing the answer.

"Come on, close this up so we can go find her." The Doctor instructed.

Rory nodded again, he had used a similar device before during one of their adventures but at the time his patient had been a Trizillion cat, not his friend. The Doctor gripped the edge of the table as Rory pressed the tip of the repair tool against the margin of the injury and pulled back on the trigger. Looking away the Doctor ground his teeth together and concentrated on breathing as the Nova Diamond around his neck began to flare. The Vale Blade had restored his Time Lord essence, but it had not reversed the cascading bio-force issue.

Closing his eyes the Doctor did his best to keep quiet as Rory mucked with the hyper sensitive area. He doubted another Time Lord could have sunk the curved blade into the tangle of nerves that lay nestled in his shoulder with any greater accuracy than Rory had even if they had been trying. It would have been a devastating injury with any weapon, but with the added properties of the Vale Blade it was proving to be nightmarish. Snatching up one of the remaining towel from the counter top the Doctor put it between his teeth and bit down on it with a deep growl of pain. Ithican stepped closer and placed his hand gently on the Doctor's lower back for psychological support.

"I'm sorry." Rory apologized with an empathetic grimace.

Still working to repair the damage Rory became increasingly concerned when the device didn't work the way he expected it to, or rather the Doctor's torn flesh seemed to refuse to act the way it should. When Rory slipped during his efforts and dug the tip of the medical tool into the injury the Doctor was instantly seized by a nauseating wave of pain that threatened his ability to stay conscious. Unable to control his rebelling stomach the Doctor doubled over, spat the cloth out and started dry heaving violently. Ithican was there to help ensure he stayed on his feet but could do little else to help.

Between Ithican's support and the grip he had on the table the Doctor managed to stay on his feet. However now that he had started retching he was having a hard time stopping. Rory dropped gun and grabbed a towel to hold against the now increased bleeding. Keeping his hold on the wound Rory reached over the Doctor's shoulders and pressed his free hand against the Doctor's forehead. Nearly bowed to the countertop the Doctor fought for a chance at air as his abdomen continuously spammed. Rory used his his purchase on the Doctor's forehead to careful guide him to stand up straighter and tilted his head back slightly.

"Breathe, Doctor." Rory said gently. "Relax, and breathe."

The new position opened the Doctor's ribcage and helped him find the breath he'd been struggling for. Ithican ensured that the Doctor didn't slip to the floor while Rory helped calm him. Although trembling and gulping for each breath the Doctor closed his eyes and managed to relax into position that Rory placed him in. Rory kept his hand on the Doctor's forehead but no longer had to push against him to keep his head back.

"That's better." Rory assured. "I've got you, just focus on breathing."

Slowly regaining control the Doctor quelled the spasms and was eventually able to stand normally again. Seeing that the Doctor was doing better Rory took his hand off his forehead. The Doctor turned and kissed the top of Rory's head affectionally before bowing his head and taking a few more deep shuddering breaths. Rory gave the Doctor a moment before looking under the towel at the wound.

"Is it still open?" The Doctor asked wearily.

"Yes. It wasn't knitting. I don't know what's wrong." Rory admitted. "Maybe if I held the far margin..."

"No." The Doctor shook his head. "Enough."

"We can't let you continue to bleed."

After taking another minute to collect himself the Doctor reached back in the drawer and pulled out a foil packet along with two hemostats and put them on the table. Rory was a little surprised that the Doctor even had the mundane supplies in the drawer. It was only going to be a quick fix for the bleeding and not a solution for the muscle damage or the severed nerves, but it would keep him on his feet for now.

"Here," the Doctor pushed the packet over to Rory "sometimes the old ways are best anyway."

Rory nodded and after cleaning the blood off once more he opened the suture packet. Much more at ease with the traditional needle and catgut set up Rory used the pair of hemostats to quickly stitch the two inch wound closed. The area around the deep puncture was hot to the touch and bright red, but at least it was no longer actively bleeding. The few remaining spirals and lines in the Doctor's chest had turned white like old scars and stood out in stark contrast to the red skin.

With the procedure finally over with the Doctor pushed himself away from the table and stumbled over to the large metal sink. Turning the water on cold he cupped his hands and splashed his face before just bowing down and ducking his whole head under the running tap. The icy water running through his hair and over the back of his neck went a long way to making the Doctor feel better. Enjoying the cool water he closed his eyes and just let it run.

Rory brought a towel over and stood next to the Doctor, but didn't rush him. Eventually the Doctor reached up and turned the water off. He didn't straighten up right away. Leaning on his forearms over the edge of the sink he let the water drip out of his long hair. The Nova Diamond dangled from its silver chain around his neck and sparkled as it worked to condense the large amount of energy it had absorbed. Opening his eyes he stared at the water drops as they fell from his hair and splashed against the bottom of the sink the Doctor became momentarily hypnotized.

"Rassilon's Test..." The Doctor muttered to himself. "I never would have passed."

"Rassilon's Test?" Rory asked. "What's that?"

"A mythical trial." The Doctor replied as he continued to stare at the dripping water. "Some say only loomed Time Lords have this defect in their shoulder, it was once said that Rassilon put the flaw there intentionally when he created the looms so that if he ever needed to test a Time Lord's loyalty he would have a weak point to exploit. It's just a legend."

"Okay, I'm sorry, none of that made any sense to me. Loomed?"

"I wasn't exactly born, I don't have parents, I was...never mind. It's not important."

The Doctor stood up and took the towel that Rory had in his hands. After tousling his hair as dry as he could get it he ran his hands through it a few times in a failed attempt to tame it. Going over to the closet he tapped on the panel that would change the connection to one of his wardrobes. Pulling out a plain button down shirt the Doctor gingerly pulled it on and buttoned it as he headed towards the door.

"Let's go find Amy and Aleena. I think we were getting close."

Rory and Ithican followed the Doctor back out into the seemingly endless maze of corridors. This time instead of relying on the sonic when the Doctor came to the first intersection he stopped and licked his hand before holding it out. After waving his outstretched hand through the air he licked his fingers once again. Thinking for a moment the Doctor headed off down the middle corridor.

"This way." The Doctor said confidently.

"What was that?" Ithican asked confused.

"No, don't do that, don't ask." Rory said quickly to Ithican. "Just trust him on this."

"But did he honestly just 'taste' his way to where we're going?"

"It's more complicated than just taste." The Doctor called back. "It's taking me a bit to get used to having all my senses back, but as Rory said just trust me I know where I'm going now."

Accepting the idea Ithican shrugged and followed along. The Doctor quickened his pace as he became more and more confident of his course. Every now and then he would run his hand along the wall or touch a closed door and bring his hands to lips again and either continue forward or suddenly whip around and backtrack. They had just come to another cross roads when there was a shrill scream.

"Amy!" The Doctor and Rory cried in unison.

Turning sharply to the left towards the distressing call the Doctor bolted down the corridor. Rory and Ithican were right on his heels as Amy cried out in pain again. When they neared the 'T' intersection at end of the hall Ithican and Rory slowed down to try and figure out which direction to turn. The Doctor however picked up speed and raced through the solid appearing wall and passed through it. Rory tried to follow and slammed into the wall hard enough to knock himself unconscious. Ithican was just fast enough to catch him and keep him from hitting the floor.

On the far side of the barrier that had only allowed the Doctor passage Amy and Aleena lay a few feet above the floor of the Zero Room. Although both looked to be unconscious Aleena was holding onto Amy's hand with her own tightly. A slight gold glow leaked out from between where their palms touched. Amy tensed and screamed again.

Although he wasn't fully sure of the consequences the Doctor rushed over and pulled the pair apart. Aleena opened her eyes and looked around with a blank expression. Amy gasped awake sharply with a look of panic. When she saw the Doctor her panic turned to true terror. Scrambling back as best she could Amy backed into the far wall. Curling her knees up to her chest she buried her face in her crossed arms and broke into a bitter weeping. The Doctor approached slowly and knelt down in front of her. He reached out and stroked her hair causing her to jolt in fear.

"Please don't hurt me!" Amy begged.

"No, never." The Doctor said gently. "Amy, it's me."

"Doctor?"

Looking up hopefully Amy cried in relief when she saw the Doctor this time. Throwing her arms around him she held on to him as though someone was about to force them apart. The Doctor's breath hissed across his teeth as Amy aggravated the already livid injury, however he ignored it and returned the comforting embrace. Although initially happy to see him Amy broke down into proper tears once again. The Doctor rocked her gently and let her cry against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Doctor." Amy whimpered as she tried to stop her tears. "I can't do that again, please, please don't make me do that again. I can't watch any more..."

"It's okay, you don't have to." The Doctor whispered. "And I'm sorry, I should never have sent you to look at a past that I wouldn't even let myself remember. It's over anyway."

"Over?"

"Mostly. We're back in what the Minyan consider their present time, the Age Lock is still an issue, but we found the second Vale Blade so I've got my mojo back and although I still don't know how to fix it I'm sure I'll think of something."

"Does the term 'Timonic Fusion Device' help at all?" Amy asked hopefully.

"What did you say?" The Doctor asked in shock.

"Timonic Fusion Device."

"Did you learn that in Aleena's memory? What else do you know about it? Who knew about it? Was it me or a Aleena?"

"I...I don't really remember. I don't have good recall, I just remember those words. I really don't have all that clear a memory of what happened."

The Doctor gave Amy a look that told her that he didn't believe her, but he didn't press her for more information. The pair had all but forgotten about Aleena. She was standing back watching them with a cold smile on her lips and a golden glow glittering in her eyes. Bringing her still glowing palm up to inspect it she looked down and narrowed her eyes. The golden spirals swirled and condensed before disappearing into her skin and vanishing completely. With the gold melting away from her eyes as well Aleena shook her head and looked around lost.

"Doctor? Amy?" Aleena asked. "What's happening?"

"Aleena, are you alright?" The Doctor asked.

"I think so." Aleena nodded as she looked around again.

"Doctor!" Rory called from the far side of the wall as he came to. "Doctor! Is Amy in there?! Is she okay?!"

"Rory!" Amy called out. "Rory, I'm okay."

"Amy!" Rory repeated in relief.

"Aleena?" Ithican called.

"I'm here as well, Ithican." Aleena assured.

"Amy," the Doctor said "I'll be right back, I need to go to the control room and fix a few terribly complicated setting so that others can pass through the Zero Room door. Until then you're sort of...well, trapped in here. On the plus side it is impossiable to starve in a Zero Room. Will you and Aleena be alright?"

"We'll be fine." Amy kissed the Doctor's cheek. "It's good to have you back to 'normal'."

"Did I hear quotes around that 'normal'?" The Doctor chuckled.

"You know you did."

The Doctor smiled and kissed Amy's forehead before giving her another hug. Amy noticed the blood on his new shirt from the now reopened wound, but she didn't have a chance to say anything about it. The Doctor got to his feet and disappeared through the wall. Amy got to her feet and instantly stalked over to Aleena with purpose.

"Amy..." Aleena smiled.

"What do you remember?" Amy demanded darkly. "What do you remember of what you saw of the past?"

"No...nothing, I...I don't remember anything." Aleena stuttered, surprised to be met with such aggression. "I don't remember any of it."

"If that *ever* changes just remember you were the ones who started all of this."

"I don't understand."

"You don't deserve the Doctor's mercy." Amy spat. "Do him and yourself a favour: once this is all over stay away from the Doctor, no matter what happens. Do you understand me?"

"Is that a threat?" Aleena asked confused.

"Yes."

"Amy, do you really fear what you learned in my memory that much?"

"I didn't say I feared it. I just don't want you hurting him."

"I would never hurt him."

"You already have, you destroyed him the first time, he's lucky to have a second chance, so let me make myself perfectly clear: if you *ever* come near the Doctor again, or even so much as utter the word 'Doctor' once we're gone I will destroy you in ways you can not imagine."

"And if he seeks me out?"

"He won't." Amy said confidently. "I'll make sure of it."

"Do you truly have that kind of power over the Time Lord?"

"I do."

"I hope you are correct." Aleena said seriously. "Deny it if you want, but I can see that you fear the truth of what happened. It is clear he fears it as well, and yet he desperately wants to know, something tells me that he'll stop at nothing to get it."

"I won't let him come to you looking for it."

"He doesn't have to come to me for the truth...he knows you hold it now."


	43. Chapter 43

NOTE: Welcome to the last chapter! Well...next to the last as there will be an Epilogue for Amy to put a bow on everything (because bows of all sorts a cool). I want to thank you all for being so supportive during my first adventure with the Doctor!

There will be a sequel and unlike the show you don't have to wait till November. I'll be starting with it within a week of ending this one.

Next up is titled, Doctor Who: Civil War.

* * *

Chapter Forty-three

"That can't be right...but it is...but it can't be."

Amy and Rory exchange an uneasy glance as the Doctor buzzed around the maze of equipment that he had spread out across the main floor of the ship's bridge. He kept his left arm held close to his chest protectively as he rushed between the various monitors, control panels, glowing crystals, and hodgepodge of technology parts that he'd set up at the base of the giant glass window. Adjusting all the setting for the hundredth time he ran the sonic over the main monitor. After staring at the read out he tucked the sonic away and rubbed at his temple for a moment.

"I can't believe it." The Doctor swore under his breath.

"Doctor?" Amy asked in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Everything."

"I told you Aleena couldn't be trusted."

"Aleena's not the problem," the Doctor corrected "it's the Time Lords. Amy I need to know, how did you learn of the Timonic Fusion Device? "

"I don't remember, it was sort of in my head when I woke up. I'm sorry."

Amy stuck to her story as the Doctor stared at her waiting for a more believable lie. Rory put his arm around her shoulders protectively and pulled her closer sensing the unspoken tension. The Doctor forced a sad smile before he stepped up to Amy and took one of her hands in his own. The rest of the Minyans, including Aleena and Ithican, had cleared off the bridge by request of the Doctor so the trio was all alone.

"Amy, what you trying to protect me from?" The Doctor asked gently.

"Nothing." Amy insisted.

"Amy this is important. I need the truth."

"I gave it to you."

The Doctor nodded, he leaned in and kissed Amy's forehead before briefly resting his head against her own. Amy suddenly felt a bit queasy, but the sensation passed quickly when the Doctor pulled away and broke their contact. He looked at her with a new kind of concern in his ancient eyes, but he didn't say anything. Turning away from Amy and Rory the Doctor went over to the near by expanse of the forward window. The Doctor spent a moment staring into the inky void of space where Gallifrey had once been.

"Oh Romana...what did you do? I trusted you."

"Doctor?"

"I have to talk to Aleena. I will be right back."

With the transporter circuits back on line the Doctor was able to travel to Aleena's stateroom before Amy could protest. The Doctor was surprised to find himself alone in the plush living quarters. On a mission to talk to Aleena he didn't even think about the consequences of wandering into the next room.

Aleena was sitting up in bed naked with an equally undressed Ithican sleeping on his stomach next to her. He had his head up on her lap and his arm wrapped possessively around her slender hips. Looking down on him lovingly Aleena slowly ran her fingers through Ithican's dark hair. Yelping in surprise the Doctor brought his hand up to cover his eyes.

"Sorry, sorry..." The Doctor apologized.

"It's okay, Doctor." Aleena chuckled as she looked up. "Come in."

"Doctor?" Ithican asked sleepily as he woke. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I...uh...well...yes..." The Doctor stuttered nervously. "Why don't I give you two a mome..."

"So you can reverse the Age Lock?" Ithican asked with excitement as he sat up.

"Yes, but how abou..."

"Why are you covering your eyes, are you becoming sensitive to light?" Ithican interrupted again with concern. "Are you falling ill again?"

"Ithican, dear, I think the Doctor is uncomfortable with our current state of undress."

Keeping the one hand firmly over his eyes the Doctor used his other hand and pointed in the direction of Aleena's voice to indicate that she was spot on.

"Oh," Ithican said with a touch of confusion "if that is the case we will get dressed and be right out."

"Brilliant." The Doctor replied.

Retreating to the living quarters the Doctor went over to the cabinet where Aleena kept her Time Lord collection. Taking out the sonic he teleported everything down to one of the storage compartments in the main chamber of the TARDIS. The technology was far too dangerous to leave behind, and he had a particular interest in the book marked 'The Valeyard' for future reading. He closed the cabinet and went over to the window to wait for Aleena and Ithican. It wasn't long before they joined him as he stared out the glass.

"Doctor, you look sad." Aleena noted. "What's wrong?"

"Ithican, may I have a moment alone with Aleena?"

"Of course. I shall make sure that Tarin still has everything under control. Call for me when needed." Ithican said as he easily fell back into his role of Master of the Guard.

Aleena made sure to get in one last kiss before Ithican used the teleport to join Tarin. Left alone with the Time Lord Aleena thought she would find herself nervous, but she was surprised to find that she had never felt safer. The Doctor however clearly had a heavy heart as he turned to Aleena and took her hands gently.

"Aleena, I need you to know something."

"What is it?"

"You were right."

"Right?" Aleena repeated confused. "About what?"

"About the danger you and your people were in from the Time Lords. I haven't figured everything out yet, but if the Time Lords still existed and if they knew what I now know they would have hunted you down. They would have erased all evidence of this ship, including you."

"Why? What happened to us?"

"You have been poisoned by the radiation of a terrible weapon, a time weapon. It was a device that the High Council of Gallifrey swore never existed, a project the Time Lords promised the rest of the Universe that we were not even working on. They must have tested it, or improperly destroyed it, or perhaps they even tried to use it and something went wrong. I don't know, but I do know that a Timonic Fusion Device is the only thing that could possibly produced the rift radiation signature I've discovered. It is infused into both your people and your ship."

"The ship is doing well for being two hundred thousand years old."

"Yes it is. Although it has still aged some, just very slowly. Living tissue bonds with the time radiation much more effectively."

"But you can remove it? You can cure us from this poisoning?"

"Yes." The Doctor nodded.

"Then we will forever be in your debut." Aleena said honestly. "Amy was right, we really do not deserve your mercy, but I am forever grateful that we have it."

"Amy said that?" The Doctor asked surprised.

"You must forgiver her. The things she must have seen you endure. I will never live the shame of that down."

"That is why I told you about the Fusion Device, so that you wouldn't feel such guilt. You were right to fear Time Lords, and therefore you were right to fear me."

"No." Aleena shook her head. "I believe the Time Lords would have destroyed us, but not you, you're something different. You may have two hearts, and you may travel through time, but I have spent thousands of years learning about Time Lords and you are nothing like them. I can see that now, I just wish I'd seen it sooner."

The Doctor smiled as Aleena carefully embraced him. Even with the soft touch his shoulder flared angrily, but he managed to hide the flash of pain. When Aleena pulled away the Doctor took her hand and turned it over. He knit his brow as he looked at her perfectly clean and smooth palm. Taking her other hand he inspected that one as well and found it just as smooth. He looked up at Aleena questioningly.

"Aleena, when did your marks go away?"

"They were gone after I woke up in that white room with you and Amy."

"That's strange." The Doctor thought for a moment. "I suppose the Zero Room could have extracted the essence from your system. I wasn't expecting that, but then again it's not something I've tried before."

"I was just relieved that it was gone."

"You might always experience some side effects from everything that's happened which brings me to our next topic." The Doctor looked around and guided Aleena towards the couch. "Here, sit down."

"Doctor?" Aleena asked fearfully.

"Everything is okay, this is good news," the Doctor assured "but sitting down is still a good idea."

Still looking nervous Aleena did as the Doctor asked and sat down. Kneeling down in front of her the Doctor kept her hands in his own. He smiled at her warmly and she relaxed slightly.

"Aleena, you're pregnant. You have been for a *very* long time."

Aleena gasped sharply and stared at the Doctor in disbelief. When he confirmed his statement with a slight nod Aleena smiled brightly as tears slipped down her face.

"Ithican and I had been trying to have a child before all this started, back on Minyos."

"Well it looks like you succeeded." The Doctor chuckled before falling silent.

"Why do I get the feeling that you have something more to tell me?"

"Your child is in the very early stages of life, only developed a few months and yet thousands of years old. He or she has also been exposed to a Timonic Fusion blast, rift energy, time travel, and the essence of a Time Lord."

"Wha...what are you saying?"

"I'm saying your child may not be born one hundred percent Minyan, they may have certain Time Lord characteristics."

Aleena's eyes widened and she pulled her hands out of the Doctor's.

"Don't be afraid Aleena." The Doctor continued. "The most amazing woman I ever met has Time Lord influence in her veins. I know that no one wants their child to be born 'different', to have to face challenges that others do not, but you will be an amazing mother, and you will be able to help them over come any difficulties this places on them."

"What if I can't?" Aleena asked as she began to panic. "What if I can't raise a Time Lord? How can I even begin to know how to raise a Time Lord?"

"No, Aleena, you're not raising a Time Lord, never think that." The Doctor corrected gently. "You are just raising your child, love them, teach them, nurture them as you would any other, and if you ever come across something you can not handle or do not understand all you have to do is call me."

The Doctor pulled out the blue crystal from the sonic screw driver that he had taken apart. Now that he was using the Nova Diamond he no longer needed the smaller crystal, but it still had its uses. He gave the crystal to Aleena. She took the crystal and stared down at it as if stuck in a dream.

"Just hold on tight to this and think of me...I'll get the message and I will be there."

"You would do that?" Aleena asked. "You would come and help?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Amy thinks we are still a threat to you, and I know you think highly of her. You would not have chosen her as a Companion if you did not."

"Don't worry about Amy." The Doctor said seriously. "Now then, I believe you have some news to break to a new father."

"He will be so excited." Aleena managed to smile as she put her hand over her stomach. "The child will really be okay?"

"He or she will be extraordinary."

"I'm frightened, Doctor."

"All new mothers are, or so I'm told." The Doctor said as he got to his feet. "I will give you two some privacy. Come meet me on the bridge whenever you are ready."

"We will." Aleena stood as well and kissed the Doctor's cheek. "Thank you, Doctor, for everything."

"You're welcome, Lady Aleena."

Aleena watched as the Doctor teleported out in a flash of white. Looking down she rubbed at her lower abdomen affectionately, she was feeling excited and nervous about the news all at the same time. Before calling for Ithican Aleena took the blue sonic crystal over to her jewelry case. She had a silver pendant that automatically adapted to any stone place inside. She pulled out the ruby that it currently displayed and set the crystal inside. The silver automatically reworked itself elegantly around the blue crystal. When it was done Aleena secured the gem around her slender neck and admired it in the mirror.

"I'm not a threat to him, Amy, no more than you are...perhaps even less so."

Going over to the intercom console Aleena raised her hand to activate it when she noticed a slight golden glow. Turning her hand over she cried out in alarm when the spiraled pattern burned itself back into her palm. Before she could call for help Aleena felt herself falling backwards into darkness.

Looking around with a golden glitter in Aleena's eyes the Vale adjusted to the control. Once he had his balance the Vale went directly to the cabinet where Aleena kept her Time Lord trinkets. Finding that the cabinet had already been raided and emptied the Vale slammed the doors shut.

"Can't trust anyone else with your toys can you, Doctor?" The Vale snarled. "Such a hypocrite."

In a flash of transporter light the Vale was standing outside the now unguarded TARDIS. He reached out and put his palm on the door causing the lights in the windows to glow slightly brighter. Taking a deep breath with Aleena's lungs the Vale pushed on the door. When the TARDIS remained shut to his touch the Vale tried the handle, but it was no use, it was firmly locked.

"You don't even recognize me do you?" The Vale sighed. "It's not your fault, it's this body. Luckily, I can fix that...but it is going to take some time."

The Vale leaned in and kissed the blue wooden door like a mother putting her child to bed. Resting his forehead against the TARDIS he closed Aleena's glowing eyes.

"Don't worry, Old Girl, I'll be back for you. He can't keep you for forever..."


	44. Epilogue

Epilogue

Rory watched with concern as the Doctor hovered around the TARDIS console flicking various switches and levers. He still kept his left arm close to his chest, but he refused to allow Rory to inspect the wound. It had taken a week or so to reverse the Age Lock on Aleena and the rest of her people. From there the Doctor had helped them repair their navigation and headed them in the direction of an uninhabited planet that they could call their own. Amy had remained unusually quiet during the past week and a half, but had never taken her eyes off the Doctor. However now that they were leaving she was no where to be found. Rory came up to the Doctor as he finished with the last of the preparations.

"Are you taking us home?" Rory asked hopefully.

"I thought we would make a quick stop at Abydos first. I've been promising Amy I would take her there for ages and now seems like a good time for all of us. I think we could use it."

"Use it? I don't understand."

"Abydos is one of the leisure planet located in the Rim Worlds along with Argolis and Midnight. I didn't find Midnight very relaxing and Argolis kinda went down hill, but Abydos is still top notch, it's an entire world devoted to relaxation, cultural understanding, healing, and beauty. Abydos is amazing, just brilliant, and safe, I checked, the next thousand years on Abydos is perfectly uneventful."

"Why haven't we gone there before?"

"Personally I find the idea painfully dull." The Doctor admitted. "But Amy seems a bit cross at me and I know she'll like it."

"She's not cross, she's just...quiet."

"Rory, when a woman like Amy is quiet it means she's cross."

"Yeah." Rory agreed. "Speaking of Amy, do you know where she is?"

"She's not in your room?"

"No, I just came from there."

The Doctor hissed in pain as he reached up with his left hand to grab the monitor, trying to hide his mistake the Doctor lowered his hand and used his right instead. Rory stepped up and opened his mouth to ask if he could take a look at the Doctor's wounded shoulder, but the glare he got told him that even asking was dangerous. Tapping on the monitor the Doctor looked up at it.

"Amy's in the..." the Doctor double checked the monitor and paused "...oh dear."

"What?" Rory asked anxiously.

"She's in the library." The Doctor sighed. "Maybe I should go talk to her. She's been acting a off ever since the Zero Room."

"No, Doctor, she's my wife, I'll go."

"Are you sure?"

"No...not really."

"Be brave."

Rory forced a brave smile that gave him a looked that suggested indigestion more than anything else. The Doctor watched with concern as Rory left before pulling the final lever that would take them to Abydos. Rory went down the twisted maze of hallways until he came to the oversized archway that lead into the library.

Unsure why the library was so dark Rory carefully made his way towards the back where the mound of pillows was. When he got there Amy was sitting on them with her knees pulled up to her chest. With her arms wrapped around her knees she had her chin resting on them as she stared out at the shelves of books. Rory came up and sat down next to her without saying anything.

"I miss the glow." Amy said quietly after a few minutes.

"Glow?"

"Never mind."

"Amy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You know I know that's not true."

"I know." Amy admitted miserably.

"The Doctor knows it too."

"What does he know?" Amy asked anxiously. "What did he say to you?"

"He just knows you're cross at him and it's upsetting him...well at least it's making him uneasy or something. He's taking us to a leisure planet."

"Oh god, a dull, safe planet. He's is upset."

"Exactly. So what is going on? Is it about this whole Timonic Fusion whatever?"

"No, I really am telling the truth about that." Amy said. "Those words were just in my head and somehow I knew there were important."

"Then what it is?"

"I..." Amy hesitated to continue.

"It's okay, Amy, you can talk to me." Rory wrapped his arm around Amy's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Please."

"I saw, I saw what happened." Amy whispered in horror. "He did it on purpose."

"Did what?"

"Trapped them in time. Worse than that, trapped them in pain. All of them, men, women...the children." Amy continued as tears slipped down her face. "Rory, he can hardly be blamed, he was in so much pain, he couldn't breath, he couldn't die, and they were still experimenting on him. He couldn't even scream his lungs were so full of blood. It would drive anyone to madness. But then..."

"Amy?" Rory asked when Amy didn't continue.

"I can't...I can't go over the details." Amy whimpered. "The Doctor got free, all he had to do was leave...at that point Aleena was so terrified of him she wouldn't, couldn't have stopped him...but he didn't. In a fit of rage he tore this ship and these people across five billion years of time and agony...he did that on purpose. When we woke up on this ship and there was no one here, that was was the Doctor, he didn't mean to yank us and the whole ship back in time Gallifrey, but he most certainly meant to stretch the crew of this ship across time, turning them into ghosts...so unlike him...but I saw it..."

"Amy..."

"Rory we can never let him learn the truth. He will *never* forgive himself for murdering all those people."

"Murdering?" Rory repeated confused. "But he fixed everything, no one died...well, Jackles, but that couldn't be helped. He saved these people, he brought them out of the time stretch even though he knew they'd hurt him, he reversed their Age Lock, even found them a new home world."

"It won't matter. Not to him. According to his own code, his own 'Lemkin Factor' he was still wrong."

"Lemkin Factor?"

"The measure by which he decides if he's more evil or more good. Trust me Rory, the Doctor will consider himself guilty of genocide, and it will destroy him."

"Uh...okay, not to put too fine a point on it, Amy, but genocide and the Doctor...that's not really new."

"What do you mean? Of course it is."

"He erased his own entire species through, like, *all* of time and space, that sounds like genocide to me."

"That was different."

"How?"

"That was to save the Universe, that was War...this was revenge."

"So what do we do?"

"We need to destroy the evidence."

"What?" Rory asked in surprise. "How?"

"We need to find someone who can erase my memory without the Doctor knowing."

"Who could help us with that?"

"Who else? Our daughter."


End file.
